リスタート Restart
by RecountOurVices
Summary: Kakashi Hatake knew that dying in action was to be expected the moment he signed up as a shinobi, but he didn't expect bearing so many regrets as his time ends abruptly. What will he do when he is given a second chance? [Time travel AU.]
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Hello, lovelies, and thank you for clicking on this story! I'm happy to see someone's is interested in this concept like I am. This is no original idea— it has been done many times before with Kakashi as the main character, but I really wanted to see how far I could push my creative writing to look for new ideas and make this interesting. Kakashi here is not the Kakashi we've seen during the series— the ripple caused by the time travel and the situations presented have a different impact on our little hero. I may do some time skipping in the future, but I'll see how it develops. If there's anything you'd like to see in this story PM/leave a review! It'd be much appreciated.

* * *

He looked at the darkness before him, back pressed flatly against the gray block of cement beneath him. His breathing was ragged, and he could feel a thick, warm liquid beneath his cold fingertips— the ones he could feel, at the very least. Vision blurry around the edges (and not only because of the Kamui), the jōnin's gaze fell upon the deep gash across his chest, noticing his left hand was a few meters away from him.

 _Blood._

 _He was dying_.

Kakashi Hatake was dying.

Not that it surprised him. The moment he had been dragged into the alternate dimension only the ones with a Sharingan had control over, he had realized he wouldn't be going back. His heart had ached deeply at the fact of not being able to help Naruto and the others against Madara. But to compensate, he had vowed to drag Obito along into the other life.

Not for the first time in his life, he had been unable to keep his silent promise.

Kakashi had failed, again. He had failed when he hadn't been able to save Obito, he had failed when he killed Rin. He had failed when Sasuke had left Konohagakure, and Gods, he had failed in trying to keep Team 7 united.

 _Failure._ The word seemed to etch painfully into his chest, even deeper than the gash Obito had managed to inflict, rendering motionless before returning to the battlefield, leaving Kakashi alone to die. Now, as his gasps became shallow, regret crashed down on him, and for the first time in over twenty years he could feel his eyes sting uncomfortably.

 _Had Sakumo Hatake experienced this before killing himself?_

He'd have to ask his old man once he got there. Wherever the Hell "there" was, anyway.

The cynical voice in his head said something about reflecting about his life before finally kicking the metaphorical bucket— but Kakashi had done day since the day they had lost Obito during the Third Great Ninja War. Regretting every poor decision; cherishing the memories he had with Minato-sensei's Team 7 and his own; laughing at every single silly competition between his "eternal rival" Maito Gai and himself.

Yes, he had done quite a lot of reflection, especially for a lazy guy like himself.

Either way, Kakashi would die as a "great" shinobi, honoring his promise to fight against the evils threatening his people. That's what the people would say. He wondered if his tomb would be near Obito's or Rin's. If... _well_. If Naruto managed to defeat Madara. While it was uncharacteristic of him to doubt his precious student, his thoughts seemed to venture down that road while Death ventured closer and closer. He looked ashamed briefly after thinking that, not that anyone was there to call him out on it. They were all fighting, all trying to protect the ones they loved and their villages— fuck, the whole world.

And he was there, lying down while waiting Death to claim him. He had no stamina or chakra left, and after the heavy amount of blood lost, Kakashi knew he would be more a nuisance than anything else. Tsunade-sama had been defeated, Sakura was on her way and there were more important people to take care of than him.

If only Zabuza could see him right now, the Konoha jōnin was sure the Mist shinobi would have a good laugh at his expense for being so idiotic.

" _I let a weak shinobi like you defeat me?! Damn you, Hatake. Just when I thought you couldn't be more pathetic_." That's what he'd say, Kakashi thought with a barely noticeable smirk. Gods, he was so exhausted.

 _Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke, Sai, Gai..._

He closed his eyes and exhaled for the last time, body moving more and more slowly until his remaining limbs felt so heavy he couldn't move them anymore.

 _Everyone..._

Kakashi's chest stopped moving soon after, face void of all expression sans the way the corners of his mouth seemed to quirk downwards.

 _I'm sorry._

* * *

He was surrounded by nothingness. His body floated, drifting amiss in what could be the eternal limbo. He didn't need to breathe nor eat.

His eyes remained closed at all times.

 _Was this what being dead was like?_

* * *

Bright. Everything was so damn bright.

Kakashi groaned softly and turned to the side, trying to cover his face with his blanket while shifting to find a more comfortable positi—

He froze.

His eyes shot open and he moved to sit on his bed, noticing this wasn't his room. Heart stopping for an agonizingly long second, the shinobi blinked slowly, the odd sense of familiarity coming to him.

Wait... it was his room. Only then realization struck, and his blood ran cold when his eyes found the calendar opposite from him.

It was his room. But... it wasn't the room he had slept in for most part of his adolescence well into his thirties. That one had almost no personal belongings that revealed the existence of an adult occupying the space. But this one— oh boy, this one. The peach curtains seemed to dance as the cool autumn breeze swept in, allowing sunlight to reach every single corner. Small pictures were adorning his bedside table, and on the shelves across from his bed were books he hadn't read in almost twenty five years.

Only then he allowed himself to look at his hands, and Kakashi was glad he was sitting on his bed, otherwise his knees would've buckled beneath his weight. They were so... so small. And so soft, not a single scar adorning them.

Those were the hands of a five year old.

Kakashi felt like screaming. Apparently his body wasn't used to the shock he was experiencing, because it shut down. Vision turning black, his head hit the pillow, allowing him not to think of whatever the Hell was happening at the moment.

* * *

The next time he woke up, the bright light hadn't faded in the least, indicating maybe an hour at most had passed. Kakashi slowly sat onto the mattress, trying to figure out this ridiculous predicament like the prodigy he was. Hands moving up to caress his face, the gray-haired boy noticed the scar that had adorning his face for most of his life was now gone, and soft skin could be found instead.

 _No scar. No Sharingan. So that meant_ —

He dared not think about it, heart aching. Not now.

Kakashi stepped out of the bed, the soft tatami mat beneath his feet making his muscles tense instinctively. The room brought many memories forth— most good, some bad and some just unpleasant. The boy— his pride took a blow at the reminder— looked around carefully, barely resisting the urge to make the Hitsuji (Ram) seal and scream "Kai!"

But Kakashi's gut told him it was not a genjutsu. _Oh, if only_. He pushed down the nervous flutter in his chest and gently slid the shōji door, closing it behind him out of habit. A habit he had supposedly lost the moment he had left the Hatake state.

Unlike the first time he had visited it, the house was well kept and had a cozy atmosphere that made Kakashi's step falter more than he'd care to admit. The wa-shitsus were well kept, and when he gazed out at the small backyard he noticed it was covered in small flowers.

Just the way his mother had liked it.

Kakashi walked into the kitchen, heart pounding in his chest at the idea of seeing Him there, probably getting ready for a mission. Sweat broke on his forehead and he rubbed it in annoyance, trying to look as serious as a five year old could look. Slowly, as if scared, he turned to look at the table, eyes widening when he saw his father.

 _Tou-san_.

Sakumo Hatake was sipping on his coffee, gray eyes fixed on the newspaper in his hands. He looked relaxed, despite wearing his jōnin uniform. Apparently Kakashi made a sound because he soon looked up and smiled at the Hatake heir, putting his mug down.

"Good morning, Pup."

Kakashi took a deep, shaky breath, trying to return the pleasantry but no words came out of his mouth. He saw Sakumo's eyes flash in concern and he stood up, walking to his son and placing a hand on his forehead.

 _Warm. He was warm_.

"What's wrong, Pup? Are you okay?" He asked softly as if not to startle the boy. "Did you have a nightmare? You don't have a fever." The jōnin caressed his cheek and only then Kakashi realized he was crying.

"I—" he choked out, not knowing what to do other than allowing his small hands tug at Sakumo's vest, pulling him close enough to hug him. Kakashi had never been this affectionate, and while he had thought he had made his peace with his father, he realized it wasn't really the case. Maybe being a kid again made his emotions way more unstable, or maybe it was him not having expected to hold his dad after years of trying to suppress his memory. "Tou-chan..." he hated the way his voice broke at the very end, he hated the way his frame trembled.

But Gods, he didn't hate his dad.

Sakumo seemed to be surprised by Kakashi's odd display of emotions, having seen him shut him out ever so slowly over the past few months, but quickly returned the embrace. Making the little head rest on his shoulder, he sighed softly.

"Shouldn't have told you about my mission last night, eh?" He tried to joke, hands rubbing his son's back. Kakashi sniffled, trying to laugh.

Heavens, he couldn't remember the last time he had hugged his father before that.

"I had a nightmare," he explained without bothering to disentangle himself from the embrace, relishing the warmth provided by his father. "Must've eaten before bed," he lied, and Sakumo barked out a laugh.

Truth be told, the former jōnin has forgotten completely about this side of his father. Kakashi had held tightly onto the memory of finding White Fang on the floor with a blade dig deep into his stomach. He had only remembered the tired, miserable shell of a man he had called his father.

But Sakumo Hatake was so much more than that.

"No more broiled saury before bed, then."

Kakashi's body relaxed and he smiled brightly even if it was hidden by his mask.

"Hai, tou-chan."

"Now, care to tell your old man about it before he leaves?" He asked, not really knowing what had triggered this sudden change of heart. But, Sakumo would never complain about it. His son was precious to him, and absolutely more important than anything else. So whatever had happened, he was grateful.

Kakashi had little time to figure out what to tell his dad, so he decided to rely on half-truths because honestly— his previous life had been nothing but a nightmare right until he had been assigned to Team 7.

"You were... gone," he hesitated, trying to keep his emotions at bay. "And I was all alone... I had to fight and you were with kaa-chan." Kakashi had to rely a bit on his childish innocence, hands tightening around Sakumo's vest.

While he couldn't see it, he knew his father's expression was somber and slightly pained. "Oh, Pup..." Sakumo whispered, only pulling away to look into Kakashi's eyes, speechless at the sheer pain in them.

"You're not leaving me, are you..?" The younger Hatake said, knowing it was kind of a loaded question with more than just one meaning. Now that Kakashi had seen his father before the incident, he doubted he'd be able to deal with not having him around again. His father sensed his insecurity and sighed, one hand running through that hair much like his own.

"I'm not leaving you, Kakashi. You're my son and I love you."

Kakashi only hoped things would be different this time around.

"I love you too, dad."


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Thank you all for the reviews! It means so much to me, you've no idea. 3

This story will be kind of long because there are many many things I want to cover, and I'm dying to write a ship between Kakashi and someone else. I did think about Rin a couple of times, I'll be honest. But we still have a lot of time! Anyway, to the ones who liked the moment between Sakumo and Kakashi, there's more to come! Please enjoy this chapter.

* * *

Kakashi and Sakumo stayed in that position for a while longer before the jōnin broke the embrace rather reluctantly, explaining he had to report to the Hokage before his mission started. The boy sighed softly but nodded, looking incredibly proud of his father— a sight that made Sakumo a bit wobbly in the knees.

"You better come home," Kakashi said, trying to look away so his father wouldn't see the pain in his eyes as he remembered that last mission. "And behave."

Sakumo, oblivious, just laughed and tweaked Kakashi's nose affectionately, earning a playful whine in return. "Apparently I've forgotten you're my father now, Pup." His expression softened and he gave a thumbs up— reminding Kakashi too much of Maito Dai— and fixed his hitai-ate, the metal plate glinting proudly.

"I'll be home before you know it."

Kakashi raised his fist ever so slightly, offering his dad a rare grin. "We're having Ichiraku ramen for dinner when you come home, then." His father looked at his tiny fist and bumped it with his own, and the former jōnin remembered all the times Bee had made him do the same.

"See you, Pup."

With a heavy heart, Kakashi looked at his father leave the compound, fear and nervousness soon pooling in the pit of his stomach. The sheer strength of the emotions left him breathless for a bit, and he stood there for a good hour or so.

But he'd see him again. He had made a promise.

And for the first time in over twenty years, Kakashi believed in his father.

* * *

The little genius got back in to have breakfast and get ready for the day— for what specifically he didn't know yet, but Kakashi felt even lazier than usual with his sleeping garments on. After a nice shower, he dressed in his everyday clothes, nostalgia hitting him when he picked the shirt his mother had given him before passing away. On the back she had hand painted the Hatake emblem, the precise lines a deep blue.

Then, his mask.

Kakashi actually hesitated, the soft fabric wrapped around his fingers. It had grown to be part of his own body, but now... he was not the same Kakashi. He had been given another chance to make things right.

In his opinion, to change other things a bit wouldn't harm anyone... right?

So, with growing self-consciousness, Kakashi tossed it away and instead grabbed a shirt much like the one given to the ANBU shinobis, the hem resting comfortably against his chin and casually covering his beauty mark. His favorite jacket and green scarf soon followed, and in no time he was slipping into his sandals.

 _Where to go now?_

The question didn't make his step falter, and he kept walking for a while around the village— looking at the faces of the ones Konoha had lost during the war, smelling the amazing aroma of takoyaki, hearing the laughter and cheerful conversations around him. Of course he wanted o go and talk to his friends— Gai, Hayate, Genma, Kurenai... Asuma...

... _Obito... Rin..._

He licked his lips nervously, and not because every girl his age was looking at him intently— "Look at Kakashi-kun, he's not wearing his mask" "Ah, kawaii!"— but because Kakashi wasn't quite sure how he'd react around his past—well, future team. The memory of Obito was weak despite having fought him right before his death, but Rin's smiling face was etched into his brain.

Rin. The friend he killed all those years ago.

His heart stopped beating for a second, and Kakashi found himself gripping his jacket for dear life right over his heart was. His breathing became rather uneven, but he forced himself to calm down and look ahead as if nothing happened.

While he had truly accepted «the real» Obito's death in the last few heartbeats of his previous life, Rin's death was an open wound that never healed despite him telling everyone the opposite.

But, Hatake Kakashi was determined and strong. If he fought Obito, then he could talk to Rin after failing so horribly. He truly wanted to connect with the friends he had pushed away for so long after Rin passed away, and now more than ever realized the power of friendship.

Friendship...

How would he be able to help people like Orochimaru and Tsunade? Orochimaru had yet to wander down that dark path, think he could prevent unlike the kunoichi, who had left after Dan's death. Not to mention... his own father...

Maybe he could bring them together, but of course it was far easier said than done.

No matter how difficult it got, though, Kakashi would do everything in his power to stop the most nefarious of events from happening in Konoha. Not only did he want to help the future, he also wanted to save those souls in need. Especially Orochimaru— he'd be damned to admit it, but he had admired the man, once upon a time. He deserved better than this.

They all did.

With that resolution in mind, he walked directly to the playground Obito and the others frequented, bumping into Gai right as he approached the stairs.

His breath hitched in his throat as he looked into his future best friend's eyes, his own dark grey ones slightly wider than normal. Gai, clearly oblivious, gasped out loud and pointed at his bare face.

"They've stolen your mask, Kakashi!" Expecting the other to brush past him like all the times he had done before, Gai fell silent after that, but was surprised to see Kakashi smile and rub the back of his head in a very Sakumo-like fashion.

"Maa... I felt like trying something different," he said and shrugged, hands shoved into the pockets of his jacket. Gai soon beamed at him and gave a thumbs up, messy hair bouncing. Kakashi realized he actually preferred the bowl cut and shook his head in amusement.

"Well, I have to practice— see you!" Gai was ready to run to the practice field next to the Academy— he hadn't been accepted yet and he was so close to completing the 500 laps he didn't really want to waste time.

"Hey, Gai!" Kakashi called out over his shoulder, turning to look at the other boy. "... Would you like to practice taijutsu with me?" While he had been more than acceptable at it in his other life, Kakashi knew his abilities and chakra were now basic at most. He was rather grateful at the same time— try to explain why a five year old boy had the taijutsu levels of an experienced ANBU shinobi or better yet, why his chakra capacity could rival Namikaze Minato's. The things he had to be careful with were his fighting style and things like his jutsu repertoire or the training he had received as an ANBU to deal with interrogation. He needed to resemble a kid, after all.

He was in such a deep trance he almost missed the way Gai's eyes misted or how he rubbed them soon after, lashes damp for some reason.

"H-Hai!" Kakashi relaxed, having thought he'd say no trying to honor his self-imposed condition. "But— only if I manage to run 800 laps today!" Gai announces excitedly, giving a «cool guy» pose.

Gods, he had actually missed him like crazy.

"Well, I better see you tomorrow at the Academy, then," Kakashi said and waved goodbye before resuming his walk to the playground, smiling when he heard another excited «Hai!»

The silver-haired boy climbed the stairs ever so slowly, feeling his palms sweat a bit at the prospect of seeing Rin and Obito like in those memories he had cherished for so long. Teeth worrying the inside of his cheek, he finally walked to the swings, noticing the noise around him died immediately.

He just stood there rather awkwardly while trying to act aloof.

"Yo."

"WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR FACE?!"

Kakashi sighed, the nervousness disappearing immediately. Nice, Obito. Real smooth. Turning to face the young Uchiha, he tilted his head to the side and said,

"This is my face, what happened to yours?" He could hear Ebisu and Genma laugh quietly at that, making Obito go red in the face and glare at him.

"Bakakashi, I'll kick your a—"

"Obito! Be nice!"

Kakashi tensed and turned to look at the girl now standing right next to him, not allowing his expression to change in the slightest.

Heavens, she was even more beautiful than he remembered.

Rin was looking at him with a big smile adorning her young face, the kumadori purple lines on her face so familiar Kakashi felt the tug at his chest.

"Hello, Kakashi."

"Rin..." he smiled, "how do you stand this baka? He's so loud."

As much as he had missed Obito, he had missed the taunting just as much. Rin's eye twitched and she offered a nervous laugh, waiting for the bomb to explode when Obito caught up to what Kakashi had implied.

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING BAKA?!"

"My point is proven." Kurenai dissolved into a fit of giggles and Asuma smirked at the screaming Obito, idly chewing on gum (that would eventually turn into an obsession with cigarettes, Kakashi thought).

"Oi, Kakashi! Stop or else he won't shut up," Genma said quietly and Kakashi walked over to him to fist bump his friend and Ebisu, much to the boy's surprise. "But— seriously though, where is your mask?"

"Eh, got rid of it. It got boring after a while, and when I master the Katon it'll be bothersome to burn my face because of my mask every single time." Kakashi shrugged nonchalantly, moving to lean against the post next to Genma. Obito simply kept muttering none sense under his breath, and Kakashi gladly ignored him.

He'd be lying if he said he had missed that attitude of the Uchiha. If seeing those flashes of heroism meant dealing with the yelling, Kakashi would keep him at arms reach for the moment. Plus... he was still resentful of how things ended before waking up that morning.

That Obito might not have been the one who cut his hand off, but he had been the one who decided to turn his back on him regardless of knowing all the truth.

"You're still studying?" Ebisu asked, clearly not dancing the idea of the genius surpassing everyone is such an humiliating way.

"Maa... who knows. It was getting boring as well, we'll see if it gets better at the Academy. Then I'll show you my Būnshin no Jutsu." As much as he had hated the Academy the first time around, Kakashi thought he'd rather sleep in a warm classroom and graduate with his friends than be on his own for years until they finished the Academy.

"You already know the jutsu you need to graduate?" Rin asked in awe, despite knowing fully well Kakashi was the genius of an entire generation. Obito clearly got mad at the way Rin's cheeks flushed in amazement and growled.

"I'll beat you, Bakakashi! My Katon and Būnshin no Jutsu will be even better than yours!"

Kakashi turned to look at him and shrugged.

"Do whatever you want. I have my own rival and he's much more interesting and stronger than you, Uchiha." Obito seemed taken aback by this and blinked a couple of times, not really understanding since when Kakashi was so social and willing to encourage others to do better.

"Who?" Asked Genma in surprise.

"Gai."

"The one that can't use ninjutsu or genjutsu? Why would you be friends with him?" Asked Ebisu in honest curiosity.

"Careful with what you say, he might get stronger than us," Kakashi said, remembering Sakumo's words after meeting the Maito family.

"What?! You gotta be joking, he's a loser," Obito exclaimed, crossing his arms over his chest and rolling his eyes.

"Says the one who can't even do the Būnshin no Jutsu," Ebisu said and everyone laughed at that, including Rin and Kakashi. Obito blushed madly.

"S-SHUT UP!"

Kakashi had indeed missed all of that, yelling and all.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Hello, you beautiful people! The amount of reviews have me shook, oh my god. I'm so happy to see you guys are enjoying this story!

As much as I love Obito, I don't think Team Minato will ever be the same. In my opinion, before Kakashi found out Obito was working with Madara, he was some kind of god-like hero in Kakashi's eyes. But— damn. Even though he knew the true story behind Rin's death, he chose to hate Kakashi's actions (and Kakashi himself). He betrayed the village he had bowed to protect. He killed Minato and Kushina. He was responsible for Kakashi's fucked up adolescence. And the pain Kakashi had to bear all those years was because Obito turned his back on him.

And just when Kakashi had thought about giving him a second chance... he realized Obito wasn't really the heroic memory he had refused to forget. I'm not going to bash him, don't get me wrong. He will be happy by the end of this story. But I will make a bunch of things different, so be warned (and please, be patient).

Having said that... please enjoy this chapter!

* * *

Kakashi walked home after a few hours of goofing around with his friends, having promised he'd be there at the same time in two days (much to Obito's dismay and Rin's excitement). He kicked an empty can absently, his muscles rather sore after running for hours straight. And— he quite didn't mind not having the same amount of stamina like before.

The idea of reliving his past— present, whatever— with all the powers adult Kakashi had developed sounded awfully boring. Not to mention the last thing he needed was a god-like complex like the one Sasuke used to have. He sighed.

Not noticing the man before him, Kakashi bumped into him and stumbled back, embarrassment soon settling in after realizing what had happened. He rubbed the back of his head and looked up, eyes widening in surprise.

"I'm sorry," he managed, forcing himself to snap out of it and bow respectfully. The ninja before him raised an eyebrow, dark locks covering half of his face.

"... You're Sakumo Hatake's hachtling." The velvety voice reached Kakashi's ears and the boy barely resisted the urge to flinch, telling himself the man was not the same he had encountered in his past life. Not yet, anyway.

Not if Kakashi could help it.

"H-Hai..." he trailed off, figuring it'd be better to feign ignorance. "I'm sorry, sir. I don't know..."

"Orochimaru."

The Sannin looked at him expectantly, as if waiting for Kakashi to run away screaming bloody murder. His pale lips were pressed into a thin line and he crossed his arms over his chest. The aura he radiated was positively intimidating, but Kakashi could see right through the façade.

He could see the pain in his heart. Kakashi then concluded that perhaps all Orochimaru needed was a bit of kindness instead of the fear and indifference Konoha treated him with. The silver-haired boy smiled, pleased to see the surprise in those snake-like eyes.

"Tou-san has talked to me about you, Orochimaru-sama," he said, remembering the times Sakumo had talked about the missions he had shared with the Legendary Sannin. Unlike most ninjas, Sakumo actually admired Orochimaru, and cared a lot. Perhaps he could see what Tsunade and Jiraiya had seen. "It's an honor to meet you."

Orochimaru blinked. "He has?" He asked a quite uncomfortable silence, and Kakashi nodded.

"Hai, sir."

"Don't call me sir," he said flatly, and Kakashi had to tilt his head in confusion.

"Orochimaru... -san?" Kakashi half-asked, not having expected that reaction. The Sennin merely nodded, seemingly pleased. He walked past Kakashi, briefly placing a hand atop his silver hair.

"You're not so bad, kid."

Kakashi jumped in surprise. He had never expected him to act like that. But perhaps it was because he was Sakumo's son and not some random kid.

"Thank you." But, Orochimaru had already disappeared. He resumed his walk home, a little bit shaken by the interaction— Kakashi hadn't expected to see so many people so soon. His mind was struggling to keep up with everything that had happened. Perhaps he needed to write everything down.

* * *

Cooking wasn't a thing Kakashi had enjoyed during his adolescence— maybe because he burned everything he touched— but at the moment it helped to distract him a bit, and he was more than grateful. Chopping onions and carrots in thin slices, he focused on making something tasty enough for his father to eat once he returned from his mission. That, and... maybe he didn't want to venture out into the village until tomorrow. He needed some alone time, quite badly.

By the time he was done, he was proud of the miso soup with eggplant he had prepared. Kakashi took a bowl to his room and gently slid the shōji door shut, a tired sigh leaving his lips.

"Finally," he breathed in relief after sitting down on his bed, careful not to spill any of the miso. While chewing on his eggplant, Kakashi reached out to grab a sheet of paper and a pen from his table.

Changing the future was a plan much bigger than himself, bigger than the village itself. He was aware of things that he couldn't quite control— like Yahiko's death, the formation of Akatsuki, Danzou's plans or the Mist looking for a vessel to contain the Sanbi. His breath hitched in his throat at the painful memory.

 _So much blood..._

Kakashi shook his head fiercely and began to write names on the sheet of paper, starting with his father and moving on to his former gēnin team, Orochimaru, and so on. By the time he was done, a good fifty names were scribbled all over the paper in his messy handwriting. His heart pounded in his chest at the mere idea of having to do something about all that. Kakashi was a ninja, not a hero.

But he'd be whatever necessary to make the future a better one than what he had seen. His legs felt weak all of a sudden, and Kakashi placed the bowl and chopsticks on the bedside table before folding the paper in half and hiding it beneath his mattress while tugging at his clothes, trying his damn best to not look like a five year old. The way his mind was working at the moment was certainly not becoming of his age.

Despite his appearance, Kakashi's heart suddenly felt fragile and old, and for the first time in many years he felt an uncomfortable prick in his chest while drifting into a restless sleep.

Uncertainty.

* * *

To his utter relief, Gai could only run 650 laps around the Academy's training ground, so he spent most of the day attached to Sakumo's leg like a lost puppy, much to his father's amusement. Kakashi still had two years to figure out what he could do regarding that particular mission, and all he could bring himself to do was lay down with his dad and ask him all sort of questions about his mother or his Academy years, even going as far as asking him particularly about Orochimaru. He had thought long and hard about his course of action and after hours of debating, he figured out he first needed to do something about Danzou's twisted plans and Orochimaru's involvement in Root— including the experiments.

If he was lucky... he'd save hundreds of kids, including Tenzou.

He only hoped he'd see him again.

"Why do you ask, Pup?" Sakumo had asked while munching on a hard-boiled egg, looking genuinely curious and maybe a bit wary. As much as he considered Orochimaru a friend, Konoha was less than tolerant around him.

"I met him the other day," Kakashi said quietly, snapping out of his reverie. "And he looked sad and lonely, tou-san." More like miserable, but it was highly improbable a kid would be able to even understand such emotion. "Is there anything we can do to make him happy?"

He hoped his father would offer an efficient approach to the Legendary Sennin. Jiraiya and Tsunade had left the village already, and Kakashi could only assume the loneliness was heavy on Orochimaru's shoulders— Sarutobi-sama was hardly someone he could talk to now.

Sakumo looked surprised, a sad smile curving the corners of his lips. "I'm not so sure about that, Pup. Orochi has always been a lone wolf. I've asked myself that question many times before." They both sighed— so much for hoping Hatake senior would have the answer.

Kakashi fell silent for a while, before quickly jumping onto his feet and running towards the door that lead outside the compound, effectively startling Sakumo.

"Where are you going?"

"Just have something good for dinner, tou-san! Dinner for three!" And with that, Kakashi ran as fast as his legs could carry him. To the untrained eye he was just a silver blur as he looked for the sneaky Sannin until he found him about to venture into the woods. "Orochimaru-san!"

Orochimaru quickly turned around to look at the boy in slight surprise and maybe annoyance, clearly having expected the other to avoid him like the plague after finding out who he was. He just stood there, a rather sour expression of his face. But, Kakashi was having none of that.

"Tou-san and I would like to know if you'd have dinner with us at the compound," Kakashi blurted hastily and bowed respectfully, not knowing what the hell had gotten into him.

But— if he was lucky, he'd interfere Danzou's first meeting with Orochimaru. And others to come.

"No."

"But—"

"I have things to do, boy."

"My name is Kakashi," he said stubbornly and puffed his cheeks in annoyance, small hands placed upon his hips— had Sakumo seen him, he would've sworn he looked exactly like his mother. "And you will go with me if I have to drag you all the way there."

If Orochimaru could ever look genuinely amused, it'd be in that very moment. It was clear he was slightly frustrated by being stopped by a boy of all people, but the Hatake boy was nothing but persistent, he'd give him that.

"Oh?" He said smoothly, easily towering over Kakashi with a slightly menacing grin. "And what's your plan, _boy_?"

Now that... that was a perfectly valid question. Kakashi didn't have the speed or chakra to use a jutsu above the C-rank, and he already knew Orochimaru had dozens of S-rank jutsus in his arsenal. He was in quite the dilemma.

"I will..." he trailed off and looked around for a minute before taking a decisive step forward and grasping Orochimaru's cool hand in his own and doing his damn best to walk in the direction of the village. He had expected the other to use the Sūnshin no Jutsu and disappear in a cloud of smoke— as he had certainly the level to do so— but the raven-haired ninja offered little to no resistance, maybe genuinely curious about whatever the hell was going on. "Tou-san gave me the very important mission of bringing you home for dinner, and I'm not failing my first mission."

"I could kill you right where you stand, and I'm sure you're aware of this."

Kakashi resisted the urge to flinch, his step barely faltering while his fingers tightened around the other's.

"You won't."

"Oh? And why is that?"

"Because tou-san and I are your friends."

If anybody had told him he'd ever utter those words to the man, he'd have Chidori'd himself to death. He was embarrassed by even thinking those words, not to mention Orochimaru had heard them from his own mouth. Kakashi was glad none of his friends were around to witness the bizarre sight— but sure enough, the villagers around him were startled to see a young boy cling to the ninja for dear life.

" _What?_ "

Kakashi almost turned around to see Orochimaru's face. Almost.

"You know my name and I know yours. If Obito thought we were friends after trying to steal the kunai I won at the festival, then I can safely say you and I are friends as well." He heard some cursing.

"We are not, boy."

"Are too."

"According to who?"

"According to me and I'm the brightest kid in my generation. I know what I'm saying."

There was a pause.

"If this is how Hatake raised his child then I'll have to threaten him."

"Tou-san raises me just fine," he said defensively and finally looked over his shoulder to glare at Orochimaru, who only raised a brow in return. "I just feel like annoying you. If you haven't killed me yet then you'll never kill me." Kakashi looked smug.

"You cannot know that. I could kill you right no—"

"But you won't."

Orochimaru's eye twitched and he looked like a predator ready to pounce. "Do enlighten me, why is that?"

"Because I'm your friend."

Honestly, for a sour man like the Sannin, he sure was hilarious.

That, or Kakashi was just an asshole.

"Kakashi, why—" Sakumo was waiting for him by the entrance to the compound, jaw going slack at the sight. "What—"

"I brought him just like you told me to, tou-san," Kakashi said and grabbed Sakumo's hand, now dragging two adult shinobis inside.

This was sure going to be a night to remember.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Welcome to another chapter, you guys! I welcome any new readers into the insanity that is this story, and thank you to all the readers who left reviews! I honestly can't believe the attention this story is getting.

I wanted to point out a few things before moving onto the new chapter just to get it out of the way in case any of you beautiful people were left confused by Kakashi's behavior. He's painfully aware of the things Orochimaru did in his previous life. The memory of little Kinoe is proof of that, and he won't forget any of that, ever. BUT. I don't think there's much he can do other than what's he's doing right now. He's five, and unlike some other stories I've read, he doesn't have the same chakra capacity nor abilities to stop Orochimaru. And waiting until he's grown to stop him is a bit silly in my opinion. Orochimaru hasn't left Konoha yet, why would he ignore him completely? Kakashi is simply doing what he does best: thinking rationally and acting accordingly.

Unlike Obito, who has Rin and his grandmother, Orochimaru has no one. Jiraiya left as well as Tsunade, and his relationship with Sarutobi-sensei is... shall we say, mediocre at best. If Obito takes the wrong turn, you can bet Rin will be there to pull him back. So yes, I do think that the best thing at the moment is for Kakashi to "befriend" Orochimaru so Sarutobi, Gaara's father and so many others don't die the way they did. I'm 100% sure that if Orochimaru'd had a support group before Danzou decided to be a major asshole, things would've gone way differently. The Hatake kazoku (especially Sakumo) will play a very important role in his life.

And. C'mon, Sasuke had a bit of a god complex. The curse mark did a bit of a dirty job as well, but Sasuke deemed himself superior even in the Academy days. Then again, it's my opinion so! Yep.

So... onwards with the story!

* * *

Two shinobis and a five year old sat around the kotatsu, the pale colored futon covering their legs. Kakashi was looking at the two men, clearly amused to see Sakumo try to come up with a good excuse as to why in the hell he had «ordered» his son to drag Orochimaru all the way to the compound. Orochimaru looked at him with a slight frown, lips pursed into a thin line. Sakumo looked ready to use the Shūnshin no Jutsu.

Of course, saying it had all been Kakashi's idea was out of the question— Orochimaru would obviously think it was the most idiotic excuse in the entire world.

"So?"

Kakashi took a bite of his steamed vegetables, looking at his father expectantly. Sakumo just laughed rather weakly.

"I just haven't seen you in a while," he began slowly, using all the years of experience to make it at least half-believable. "After Tsunade left, no one has really seen you around the village. It's almost a miracle Kakashi managed to locate you."

"Maybe your son is that good," Kakashi offered, as if he didn't sense the tense aura around Orochimaru. Sakumo's eyebrow twitched, but he smiled nonetheless.

"You need to be around people, Orochimaru," the jōnin continued with more conviction, unfazed by the glare thrown his way. "You just can't expect me to sit around and let you rot in that library."

Or laboratory, added Kakashi in his head while taking a sip of his water.

"I don't need your pity, Hatake." Orochimaru was clearly not amused, and by his posture it seemed he was ready to leave. Still, he eyed the hard-boiled eggs before him.

"If I pitied you, do you really think you'd be here with us?" To Sakumo, there was nothing more important than his son, and if he had not only opened the doors of his home to the Sannin only because Kakashi had dragged him all the way there. He genuinely cared for him. "It's like you don't know me at all."

" _Hm_."

"Tou-san, Orochimaru-san is not eating his vegetables. Am I allowed to leave them as well?"

"No, you are going to eat them and so will he." At this, Sakumo shot the other adult a look that left no room for argument, and Kakashi almost choked on his food when the Sannin actually took a bite.

"Just so you know, I'm eating this because I've been raised better than let food go to waste."

Kakashi offered a knowing smirk.

"Hm, right. Tou-san, order him to give me a hard-boiled egg."

"I will _eat you_ , brat."

"Did you hear, this is child abuse!"

Sakumo laughed despite the glare Orochimaru threw his way, and Kakashi only stole one from his plate.

"Why, you brat!"

"Dad, make him stop!"

Sakumo's laughter soon turned into a groan. So much for a quiet night.

* * *

After dinner Kakashi was sent to his room because apparently he needed to rest after running and jumping between rooftops looking for Orochimaru, but it was clear Sakumo was trying to ground him for having surprised him like that and he was too emotionally drained to give him an earful about was he thought. Knowing his father would catch him if he tried to spy on them (Sakumo ended up convincing the other to join him for some tea), the jōnin-turned-kid simply walked to his room and slid the door shut, practically collapsing onto the bed.

Damn five-year old body, he was actually pretty tired. The boy changed into his night clothes and slid between the cool sheet, a soft sigh leaving his lips. He wondered if he had actually changed something with that. Danzou was a sneaky son of a bitch, and he wouldn't give up on someone so talented like Orochimaru.

 _What if Orochimaru still went with him? Then he'd begin the experiments, and leave the village, and—_

Kakashi slapped a hand over his forehead, forcing himself to stop overthinking for once and relax. He couldn't do anything about something that hadn't even happened yet, that was obvious. For now, all he could take were baby steps. Sigh.

After tossing and turning for quite some time, Kakashi fell asleep, having forgotten said man was still in his house.

He woke up around nine, and walked into the kitchen without bothering to change clothes or tame his hair. Sakumo was already there, as usual, and greeted him with a grin that sent warmth spreading across his chest. Quickly returning the smile, he moved to take a seat and dig into his breakfast. Gods, he had missed his father's cooking skills.

"How did you sleep, Pup?" Asked Sakumo, already on his second cup of coffee. Kakashi shrugged, chewing on a mouthful of eggs.

"Eh, alright. Did you?"

"Like a baby. I have to say, I'm glad you somehow managed to bring Orochi here, son. I don't know how you did it, but it's clear he needs some company. He looked a bit troubled."

"Troubled?" Repeated Kakashi, even though he knew how the other must be feeling at the moment. Oh, he knew alright. The boy was willing to bet Orochimaru felt even worse than him after losing Rin and Obito. The idea made him shudder. How he had been blind for so long, Kakashi couldn't quite understand. "Well, he has you... and me, I guess. He should be fine."

"You think so?" Sakumo looked intrigued, wondering what made his son speak with such confidence. Last night the Sannin had been... oddly amiable. It only made his suspect he was going through something much worse than what he had thought at the beginning— solitude could drive the strongest of wills into madness.

"I mean, he's not an idiot like Jiraiya—"

"Kakashi—"

"— So he could be able to realize you want to see him get better."

There was a pause.

"You're right. Thank Rikkudo you're my son, Pup. I wouldn't know what to do without you."

Kakashi felt his heart soar.

"Well, we'll never have to find out."

* * *

 _A month and a half after..._

The day was a bit chilly, and Kakashi found himself wondering aloud if he really wanted to go «play with his friends» as Sakumo so enthusiastically called it while getting dressed. The night before Orochimaru had appeared for the millionth time (or at least, it felt like that) since their first dinner to play shōgi with his dad, a carton of eggs under one arm because as he so eloquently had said,

"If I'm being forced into your household, I might as well bring my own food. I'm not a leech like Jiraiya." Sakumo has laughed at that and put a couple of the eggs to boil, setting the shōgi table down so they could place the pieces in each square. Whenever the Sannin had come over, Kakashi had tried his hardest to see any changes in the man. And sometimes, he swore he could see something akin to fondness in those snake-like eyes whenever they fought over the last hard-boiled egg. He only assumed Orochimaru was fond of Sakumo as well, because Kakashi could hear them talk for hours even after he went to bed. Otherwise, Orochimaru wouldn't have bothered to come a second time. The man's (almost nonexistent) sense of humor was still dark and acidic, definitely not for the cardiac. His social abilities were extremely rough around the edges, and most times Kakashi had the feeling he was fighting the urge to flee and never come back. After being left by his teammates and not having a place to call home, he could definitely understand why. But the Hatakes were nothing if patient and stubborn— both traits his mom had been known for— and they'd make sure to stick around the Sannin for as long as possible. Sakumo already acted as if Orochimaru had been an important part of his life for years.

Was he getting any better? The prodigy was willing to bet money on it.

Kakashi soon found himself walking to the playground all the kids use to gather at, looking at a cloud that resembled Naruto for some odd reason when he felt a body collide against his own. Reacting as fast as he could, he regained his footing and looked at the boy rubbing his now red nose, sprawled all on the ground before him.

"Is that what you call a surprise attack?" He asked rather dryly, eyebrows raised in surprise when Gai jumped onto his feet and gave him thumbs up.

"I will do one thousand push ups for my mistake, Kakashi!" Gai laughed and dragged him to the playground, where Rin greeted them with a dazzling smile. The usually loud boy fell silent as his cheeks heated up, ignoring the way Obito yelled at him for giving Rin that «weird look». Kakashi simply smiled back, his own cheeks a tad darker than usual.

It was amazing, honestly. The way Rin could make him feel so warm with only a smile. Apparently, all the boys thought the same way because he had seen Genma rub the back of his head in a bashful manner and Ebisu's face always turned a fierce red whenever the kunoichi paid him any sort of attention.

Rikkudo knew, they were all suckers for Rin. Except Asuma, of course. But they all knew he had a major thing for Kurenai, even now when knew barely knew how to hold a shuriken.

"Oi! Are we going to play or what?!" Obito whined and tossed the old ball at Gai, a childish pout on his face as Rin kept talking to Kakashi. "Hey, Funky Brows! Your turn to start!"

Only a few weeks prior Gai had finally managed to challenge Kakashi, and everyone had watched in awe as they engaged in a light taijutsu match that soon turned into a fight that could rival any high-chūnin one. Kakashi won, obviously— but he'd be lying if he said it hadn't been something to worry about. Gai had been so close to winning Obito and Asuma didn't stop talking about it all week. It made Kakashi think that maybe he needed to practice more rather than wander around the village whenever Sakumo was away on a mission. He was ridiculously strong, yes. But everyone now trained twice as hard after seeing the genius of effort in action.

Kakashi almost wished older Gai could've seen the match.

Snapping out of his trance, he ran to his designated group and the game began. The Gai-Gen-Ka formation was almost flawless for this particular game, but Ebi-Asu-Obi sure gave them around for their money. Kurenai And Rin just giggled between them, talking in hushed whispered while the boys used their— still unpolished— skills to steal the ball between the teams. Only after a good hour of running and kicking, they stopped to relax for a bit.

"Do you guys have everything ready?" Asked Kurenai excitedly, and Obito cocked his head in confusion.

"For what?"

"For school, _baka_."

"Oi, Bakakashi! Shut up!"

Gai made a face and they shut up, actually sharing a small look of concern.

"Papa has tried to talk to Sandaime-sama, but..." he worried his lower lip, the subject being extremely delicate for him. "They say there's no place for a kid who can't use ninjutsu or genjutsu."

Kakashi opened his mouth to voice his opinion, but Obito beat him to it. "That's bull," said the Uchiha, hands resting behind his back and goggles resting on his forehead. Getting slightly distracted, Kakashi thought it was curious that Naruto had used goggles as well before graduating from the Academy. "If your dad's a gēnin, then you should be in the Academy too!"

"We still have a month before classes begin, maybe we should do something," offered Rin after admonishing Obito for his language, clearly not liking the idea of attending the Academy without one of her friends. Asuma nodded in agreement, silently wondering if he could talk his father into it.

"A month is more than enough, Gai." Kakashi rubbed the bridge of his nose. "You're the genius of effort, right? Show Hokage-sama what you're made of."

Gai, ever the sensitive soul, felt like crying. Wiping his eyes in a so-not-subtle way, he offered a watery smile at everyone.

"Minna... thank you!"

And so, Mission Academy Gai began.

* * *

"Tadaima!" Kakashi called out upon stepping into the compound, kicking off his sandals and cleaning his feet before walking to the kitchen, his stomach rumbling loudly after hours of being outside his home. He had expected to see Sakumo there, but was surprised to see Orochimaru sitting in his dad's chair, his flak vest draped over the back almost lazily. The Sannin was peeling some hard-boiled eggs, his dark locks pulled back into a high ponytail, and if Kakashi hadn't known any better, he would've thought there was a lady in his house.

"Social norm dictates you greet someone upon entering the room, hatchling," Orochimaru's velvety voice reaches his ears and Kakashi snapped out of it, still looking at him as if he were some alien. "And here I thought Sakumo had taught you better."

"What are you doing here?" At the Sannin's disapproving stare, he quickly collected himself and gave a respectful bow, silver eyebrow knitted in confusion. "I'm sorry, Orochi-san." To his delight, the other's brow twitched in annoyance, and he offered a sweet, innocent smile.

"What did I tell you, boy?"

"To aim for the jugular, Orochi-san?" Kakashi tilted his head to the side while inching closer to the eggs. The Sanning sighed in frustration.

"Yes, but try again."

"To never leave traces after a murder?"

" _Kid_..."

"Oh! To wash my teeth everyday so I don't have teeth like Jiraiya?"

There was a long pause.

"Do remind me why I haven't killed you yet."

"Because tou-san would be disappointed and you like him too much to do that. And because you like me."

Orochimaru didn't look amused. Kakashi simply reached out for an egg, only to have his hand gently slapped away.

"Hey!"

"These are mine."

"And this is my house! This is child abuse."

Orochimaru swallowed an egg, and Kakashi barely resisted the urge to shudder.

"I'll show you child abuse, brat." For some reason, there was no venom in said statement. Kakashi pouted— the man was such a softie it was ridiculous. Until— "Don't make me order Manda to eat you. Explaining to Sakumo my summoning did it despite my intentions to defend you is far easier." Not that Orochimaru had showed him his summoning in this... timeline, but the memories from his past life were enough for him to stop the teasing.

For now.

"Where's tou-san?" Asked the younger of the two, trying to change the subject while ignoring the smug smirk on the other's face. "Did Manda eat him?"

Orochimaru looked almost offended.

"He went shopping for tonight's dinner."

That made a lot of sense, but honestly, if someone had told him he'd heard those words from Orochimaru...

As a matter of fact, Kakashi shouldn't be so used to seeing him in his house, but clearly life worked in mysterious ways. The bitch.

Kakashi looked up at him suspiciously. "I bet you ate him."

The Sannin growled and bit his finger before "Kuchiyose no—"

"Alright, sorry..."

"That's better."

"... _Orochi-san._ "

"You brat!"

When Sakumo got home, he found Orochimaru enjoying his appetizer while the miniature version of Manda chased Kakashi through the compound, hissing something about «Master Orochi being mad at the brat!» that had the Hatake heir howling in laughter.

"Oh, fuck me," mumbled the dark-haired nin under his breath.

"Is that an invitation?"

" _Don't you even dare, Sakumo Hatake._ "

* * *

A/N: Kakashi, Obito And Rin knew each other before the Academy days. And in the anime it is said Kakashi got into the Academy at 5, so I'm going with that, just adding Gai and the rest into the mix earlier. I really enjoy writing Sakumo and an almost human Orochimaru, so there will be more chapters like this one to come. I was actually thinking about writing all the Academy years in one chapter because I feel like those tend to be a bit generic and what I'm looking forward is the graduation and formation of the gēnin teams.

Also. I was planning on shipping Sakumo and Orochi, you guys tell me what you think!


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Hello! I am back again with another chapter! Yay!

Before you that, I'd like to clarify Kakashi doesn't have a crush on Rin. He's just extremely happy to be around her again after not having appreciated their time as teammates as he should have. Rin is one of the girls that can make everyone smile and blush like crazy because she's literally the embodiment of Charm and Sweetness— the boys (except Asuma because he's totally wrapped around Kurenai's finger) don't blush because they want something with her, unlike Obito. Plus, it's too early to even talk about crushes, but it will come! Don't you worry. xx

* * *

Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at the paper in his hand, amused gaze scanning its contents for the third time that morning since the chūnnin in charge of the mail had arrived with a heavy stack of letters— mostly missions, some of them complaints from the villagers regarding some trivial matter, or urgent summoning from the Fire Damiyo himself.

Ah, but that letter was different. The Third Hokage was willing to bet a good handful of ryo neither Hashirama-sama or Tobirama-sama had ever received such request in all their years as Leaders of Konohagakure no Sato. It was properly worded and it held a formality he would've never expected in that kind of situation.

 _Dear Sandaime Hokage-sama,_

 _We're writing to formally request the enrollment of Maito Gai for this year's classes starting two weeks from now. We know that while he has no abilities for ninjutsu or genjutsu, Gai has showed proficiency—_ Sarutobi had to chuckle at the usage of such big words coming from a group of five year olds _— in the field of taijutsu, making possible his graduation once the time comes. The Will of Fire burns in his heart, and neither he nor us will stop until he is accepted into the Academy. If necessary, we will each run three hundred times around the village and complete three round of three hundred pushups each (especially Uchiha Obito). We hope you consider this before the first day of classes._

 _Regards,_

 _Sarutobi Asuma, Yūhi Kurenai, Shiranui Genma, Ebisu, Uchiha Obito, Nohara Rin, Maito Gai and Hatake Kakashi._

And then, a smaller note was attached to the end of the letter, the handwriting much messier— and much more familiar, fact that made Hiruzen laugh out loud in pure amusement.

 _Tou-san,_

 _I know it's not my place but kid's got punches. Give him a chance or we will run... around the compound all night long. Gai won't stop and we won't either._

 _Asuma_

His lips curved into a smile around his pipe, and he failed quite miserably at hiding it while moving to read the rest of the correspondence. So Maito Gai... hmm...

"Shikaku-san, would you be so kind to contact the Academy? There is something I must investigate at once."

* * *

"Do you think it worked?"

"I can't read minds, dobe. How am I supposed to know?"

Obito blushed at that, frowning when Rin erupted into a giggle fit.

"O-Oi, Bakakashi! Shut it!"

"Your eloquence astounds me, Uchiha," Kakashi drawled slowly, back resting against a post rather lazily. The sun was shining brightly down on them while they tried to even out their breathing, most of them laying down in the middle of the playground as if they owned the whole thing. Two days had passed since Asuma had sent the letter they had all written to the Hokage and so far they hadn't gotten an answer. So Gai, honoring his word and conviction, had managed to run one hundred and fifty times around the entire village, followed behind at a much smolder pace by Kakashi and company because honestly, they hadn't had it in them to break their promise. Ebisu had given up after running past Ichiraku's for the hundredth time, watching Obito complain until his knees gave up on him— quite literally.

"I hope it does," whined Kurenai, wiping the sweat off her forehead and taking a log sip of water before any of the boys had the chance to take it from her. "I don't think I'll be able to run like this every single day."

Gai, on the other hand, looked absolutely thrilled and on the verge of crying.

"The fire of youth is burning in all of us! Hokage-sama will see it soon, guys!"

"You sound way too energetic for someone who can barely move," said Ebisu rather dryly— but they all noticed his tone revealed how amused he was. The boy with sunglasses was right, Gia's knees were shaking a bit even after having sat down half an hour ago. How troublesome.

"I will do a thousand pushups now! I can feel the fire in me!"

"As much as I'd like to stay—" said the silver-haired boy, pushing himself up and dusting his clothes off, "— Orochimaru-san is having dinner with us again and tou-san will have my head if I leave dirt on the entrance like last time."

"Orochimaru-sama?" Genma didn't look too thrilled by the idea, worried about his friend."But isn't he—"

"I like him and so does tou-san." Kakashi interrupted him quickly, clearly not wanting to start an argument because of Orochimaru of all people. He was too tired to even talk at this point. "He's nice to us— you should give him a chance."

"But he's so creepy!" Obito retorted. Kakashi actually looked upset and he narrowed his eyes at the Uchiha.

"I had thought that _you_ of all people would be able to understand, Obito. Guess not. Anyway... see you tomorrow, I guess." Not bothering to turn around when Rin called out of him, Kakashi jumped down the stairs and walked to his house.

Damn, he thought. He shouldn't be that upset. He had heard much worse before—

But this time, a little voice in his head reasoned, he truly cared about the Sannin.

* * *

Kakashi looked at the plate of batayaki before him, lightly stabbing a piece of octopus with the end of his chopsticks in slight frustration. Orochimaru and Sakumo shared a look, as if deciding who should ask about whatever seemed to bother the little one so much. Apparently the fact Orochimaru was not Kakashi's father didn't matter, because Sakumo kept giving him those blasted puppy dog eyes he knew the Sannin simply couldn't refuse.

"Damn you," he whispered under his breath and put his own chopsticks down, trying to catch the kid's attention. "Hatchling?"

"Hn."

"Something is bothering you."

"... Hn."

"What to talk about it?"

Kakashi stopped and looked up at the dark-haired shinobi, lips pursed. "I just don't understand why so many people dislike you." Instead of tensing or giving a negative reaction, Orochimaru sighed and shifted to get more comfortable. He had changed over the past few weeks, and while the changes were small and not many could notice the difference, Kakashi was hardly like the rest. The difference was honestly astounding— and Sakumo seemed to think the same way after a meeting with Sarutobi-sama. Kakashi didn't know what had been said, but from what he had deducted, it was big stuff indeed.

"People fear what they don't know, Kakashi. It's always been this way." Orochimaru shifted a bit, trying to smile though it ended up being a small grimace. Sakumo's hand found its way to rest on his knee without he even had time to react. "I am in a less than favorable position, though. My actions during the Second Ninja War are no secret, and people also fear what little it is known about me."

Kakashi scowled at that and stabbed his food again. "You saved the village. They're being ridiculous." It was amazing, really. What an entire village could do without even knowing what chakra was. Defending oneself from attacks was far easier than trying to block the hushed whispers, the hateful glares. The two men before him were the proof of that. So had been Naruto and Sasuke when they were nothing but babies. His heart constricted at the painful reminder, but at the same time his blood boiled in sheer anger.

"Kakashi—"

"I acknowledge my offense," he said as soon as Sakumo said his name, stuffing his mouth with the now slightly cold food. Orochimaru looked at him for a while longer, as if trying to fully understand what had triggered such discomfort. Sakumo gave his knee an affectionate squeeze— one he didn't actually shrug off. The lack of action struck him as odd, but he kept silent.

When the Hatake heir retired for the night, he missed the way Orochimaru's gaze lingered on his back in curiosity and maybe— just _maybe—_ worry, or the way Sakumo looked at the Sannin.

* * *

"Good morning, tou-san," said Kakashi the next morning, surprising Sakumo when he looked up to notice his son had already showered and changed into training clothes. "Did you sleep well?"

"Mornin, Pup," Sakumo offered a bright smile and nodded before taking a sip of his tea, "I did, thank you for asking. Do you feel any better? Last night you were pretty upset." When Kakashi only sighed, he made a face. "I know how you felt and believe me, I sometimes feel the same way. But we can't let our emotions get the best of us, son— there are some things people need to understand on their own."

Kakashi nodded and opened his mouth to make a question that had Sakumo choking on his morning tea a bit too loudly. "You like him, don't you?"

"W-What?" He gasped, trying to control his breathing while lightly coughing into his elbow, his free hand giving his chest light taps. "Like who?"

"Orochimaru, tou-san," elaborated his son as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Sakumo felt increasingly self-conscious. "Not that is my place to ask—"

"I do," he finally admitted and sighed, his heart beating wildly at the revelation and the fact that he hadn't calmed down yet. "But it's rather complicated, little one."

His son took a couple of minutes to absorb the information, face soon becoming more serious and dark than Sakumo had ever seen in his life.

"If he ever tries to do something wrong, will you stop him? Will you help him even if he doesn't want you to?" Kakashi knew he should've kept his mouth shut, but last night he hadn't been able to get any sleep and the questions weighted heavily on his shoulders. He might have stopped Orochimaru from leaving Konoha, but his dad... his dad had yet to take that dreadful mission. And if history repeated itself, then Sakumo would have it way worse than Orochimaru had all those years. "Will you be there for him no matter what?"

"Ka..." Sakumo trailed off, clearly taken aback by the sudden questions, painfully aware of the haunted look on Kakashi's eyes. He didn't know what to say at first— those questions were too serious and the subject itself was too fragile from him to answer without really thinking. "Where did it all come from, Kakashi? What's wrong?"

"I don't want any of you to be alone or in pain again. Please answer the question, tou-san."

Now Kakashi sounded almost desperate. His eyes widened in shock.

 _What the hell had happened yesterday?_

"Of course I would. Orochimaru is the closest person to me aside from you, Kakashi. I want to see him happy just like you do." Though he didn't really knew if Orochimaru would ever return his blooming feelings if he were to confess. "I will protect you both no matter what happens."

Kakashi fell silent and reached out to grab his father's hand, squeezing tightly.

"He needs you. I need you. Please... _please_ ," he whispered, "don't ever leave us."

Sakumo's heart broke a bit.

"I won't. I promise."

* * *

A month after their conversation, the Hatakes walked to the Academy for Kakashi's first day of classes, talking in hushed whispers between them and laughing out loud when Kakashi cracked a witty joke. That laugh soon turned into a strained cough when he asked why his «almost boyfriend» hadn't come with them.

Orochimaru had soon become an important part of their daily routine, and while Kakashi didn't see Sakumo making a move to see if the Sannin happened to return his feelings on some level, he had the feeling it'd happen soon enough. He had told his dad he wasn't bothered by it in the slightest— and he honestly wasn't, because Sakumo had been on his own for too long and Kariire would've hated to see her husband so depressed all the time. Kakashi had gone as far as to introduce his friends to Orochimaru, who past the initial fear and nervousness, enjoyed to be around him as much as the Hatakes. Especially Genma, who would always ask about different type of poisons and swords. Orochimaru liked them enough not to summon Manda and let him swallow them whole. That was a good sign.

To think Orochimaru could become his... his... Daddy?

 _Mommy?_ He mentally snorted at that. He was brought back by reality when a green blur jumped up and down not far away from him.

After dozens of letters from Asuma, the thousands of miles Gai practically dragged all his friends through the village, and an embarrassingly huge sign that had hung from the Academy's rooftop (courtesy of Maito Dai), Gai had finally been accepted into the Academy. He had been crying nonstop since he had gotten his letter, and even now in the middle of the crowd it was easily to hear his sobs— or Dai's, as he was as loud as his son.

"Yo," greeted the silver-haired boy, Sakumo offering a smile to the Maito family.

"Kakashi! Ready to bask in the power of youth?!" Gai practically screamed, tears still rolling down his cheeks while Dai gave the Hatakes the «nice guy pose». Sakumo laughed at their antics and Kakashi simply rolled his eyes in amusement— now that he didn't have his mask, it was easy to see the slight smirk that adorned his lips.

"Maa, maa... maybe later. Don't let Obito see you challenge me, you'll give him—"

" _Oi, Bakakashi! You're supposed to fight me, I'm your rival_!"

"— ideas." He sighed. Honestly. All he wanted to do was relax a bit before the boredom began.

Obito came running out of nowhere— early for once in his short life, Kakashi noticed with surprise— and flushed upon realizing he had called him a baka with his father around. "I... er..."

"Cat got your tongue? Where's Rin?"

"W-Why do you ask?!" Obito scowled before muttering what sounded like «I won't let you steal her away from me» before pointing over his shoulder. "She's with her parents—Nohara-san was insisting on a picture of the three together."

"We should've taken a picture," said Sakumo all of a sudden, and Kakashi turned to look at him.

He hated getting his picture taken, but... before his death, he hadn't had a single picture of the two together.

"We still can, if you want." Sakumo's grin was so wide it filled Kakashi's chest with warmth.

"Let's go, then. I don't have much time before I have to reunite with _Orochi-kun_ ," Kakashi smirked at that, "and the rest of my team for our mission."

Sakumo and his team had been called by the Sandaime for a week long mission, thing it hadn't happened in the past. Kakashi had been a nervous wreck when he had found out a week ago, but he had decided to channel Rin for a moment and look at the glass half full for a chance. Things were slowly but surely changing. It was no «infiltrate into Kirigakure and dispose of whoever stood in their way to retrieve a few confidential scrolls that contained Konoha's greatest secrets and weaknesses» kind of mission from what he had gathered, so Kakashi was confident they'd all return home safely.

Biding the new acquaintances goodbye, Sakumo gently tugged Kakashi to the man who was taking pictures to the families, politely asking if he'd take theirs as well. His son let a soft chuckle when he was pulled to Sakumo's side, the arm around his shoulders offering the safety and love Kakashi had craved for years after he had taken his own life.

"Perfect! Now, smile!"

"Too bad Orochi-san isn't here so we can all take a family picture, right? I need a _motherly_ figure around," Kakashi joked and smiled the second the man pressed the small button, ignoring the way Sakumo blushed and gaped at him even when the flash blinded them momentarily.

They had to take the picture again after Sakumo threatened to never buy saury again, but Kakashi loved the first picture so much, he framed it and put it on his bedside table later that night.

* * *

The first week had passed by in the blink of an eye, but by the time Friday had rolled around, Kakashi had been called the «brightest of his class», to the annoyance of some people and amazement of others. Rin has congratulated him, but Obito had been so mad he refused to talk to him. Not that it had bothered him— Naruto had acted the same exact way when he had found out Kakashi had taught Sasuke the Chidori. So he had looked the other way and talked to Gai and Genma, exchanging bentos and helping Asuma with the theory behind seals.

Kakashi was actually grateful he was the best of his class and not the best of his entire year. The last thing he needed was to graduate this early like in his previous life— that hadn't ended too well for him. Deciding he'd do his best to make it look like he was always fighting for the first place instead of letting everyone know he had the abilities to become a jōnin right there and then, he walked into the compound. Immediately, he noticed the lights were on and he smiled, relief soon settling in because that could only mean one thing.

Sakumo was alive and well.

"Tou—" the words died in his mouth when he walked into the living room to see a grim Sakumo clutch his bruised cheek, a small cut on his lip. Confused and maybe a bit alarmed, he approached the shinobi slowly, looking for other wounds. "What happened to you, tou-san?"

Sakumo made a face and took his sweet time to answer, gaze avoiding Kakashi's for some weird reason. It wasn't a Henge, the man before him was unmistakably his father. But if he wasn't an imposter, then why was he acting in such a weird way?

"I... had a small disagreement with Orochimaru."

Kakashi relaxed immediately and sighed softly. Ah. Had it been actually serious, he knew his father wouldn't have just a split lip. Orochimaru might be fond of them, but he was still one not to be messed with. That made his curiosity reach new peaks and he stepped closer.

"What in Rikkudo's name did you do to him? That looks terrible, tou-san." Kakashi made a face before deciding to lighten up the mood. "Did you kiss him without out of nowhere or something?"

When Sakumo grimaced instead of laughing at the inappropriate joke, his son's eyes almost popped out of his head, jaw dropping.

" _You kissed Orochimaru-san just like that?!_ "

"Kakashi, people will hear yo—"

" _You're so lucky he didn't kill you!_ "

"Kakashi!"

" _You could've died, tou-san!_ "

"Pup..." Sakumo said weakly, but Kakashi interrupted him once more.

"So... did you like it?"

What happened next he only would've expected from Orochimaru, but Sakumo summoned the alpha of the wolves summonings Ôkami, and in no time Kakashi was being chased around the compound once more with the big wolf hot on his heels.

"You insolent Pup! Only I am allowed to make fun of his pathetic love life!"

And this time, it was just as hilarious.

* * *

A/N: Would you like me to write Sakumo's and Orochimaru's first kiss? I'm want to so badly, but do let me know!


	6. Chapter 6

"You're late."

"I'm sorry, today was Kakashi's first day at the Academy and I had promised him I'd go with him. Didn't I tell you last week? Could've sworn I did." Sakumo shrugged his backpack off and set it down by his feet, throwing a cheeky smile in Orochimaru's direction. "I'm still fifteen minutes early, anyway."

Orochimaru's gaze had softened considerably when the little Hatake was mentioned, and he just gave a lazy nod as if just remembering Sakumo had indeed mentioned it the week before. " _Ah_. I should have bought him a present."

"Well, its a good thing that you didn't, otherwise you would have made me look like the worst father in the history of Konoha." Sakumo sighed and raised his arms over his head, more exhausted than expected. His son had woken him up at the crack of dawn to make sure they'd get there on time, undeniably excited since the night before. It was curious, how much he had changed in a couple of months— before that Kakashi had showed little to no interest regarding the Academy because he apparently knew everything there was to know to become a gēnin. Making new friends must've changed his opinion, not that Sakumo complained. Not at all. His son looked genuinely happy and that was all that mattered to him. "Maybe I'll take him to Ichiraku when we return."

"Perhaps I will buy him a set of kunais. Or, I could always treat him to some dessert if he agrees to the ramen," the Sannin mused out loud, tracing his lower lip in a way that had Sakumo looking at his finger almost enviously. "As long as it isn't ice cream, of course." The mere idea of standing in the middle of that cold ice cream parlor had Orochimaru's skin tingling uncomfortably. He cleared his throat as if to regain his composure.

The white-haired jōnin fought the urge to tell Orochimaru he'd make for an **excellent** dessert with hot fudge drizzled all over his naked bo— he took a deep breath, unable to stop himself from smirking. "Then I will tell Kakashi dear _Orochi-kun_ would love to buy him a nice pint of chocolate ice cream." Orochimaru growled.

"I hate you."

"No, you do not."

The Sannin wondered when that had become true. A sigh escaped him.

"Gather your things. Shibi-kun and Chōza-kun are coming. Now, _taichou_ ," Orochimaru purred, and Sakumo understood why Sarutobi-sama always trusted him with missions where seduction was almost mandatory, cold sweat breaking on his neck. "Don't you think we should explain the plan to them once more?" Rikkudo, the way his lips moved to utter each word was downright sinful. Was he doing it on purpose? Did he know?

No, it couldn't be... if there was someone whose social abilities were even worse than Sakumo's, it was Orochimaru. He was a bright shinobi, but he doubted he could recognize something like romantic love.

Squaring his shoulders and shoving the thought to the back of his head, White Fang ignored Orochimaru's teasing smirk and slipped easily into «Leader mode», greeting his subordinates for the mission and explaining almost immediately what they had to do. Usually it would've sufficed with a three-man squad, but the Third Great Ninja War was closer and closer by the second, and frankly none of the big elemental nations could be so careless and send a high-rank chūnnin. Sakumo had dealt with a great deal of S-rank missions over the past year or so, and with every mission he received, Sandaime-sama was more exhausted and the tension was more noticeable.

This particular one was a high S-rank mission— there had been some suspicious activity around Tanigakure no Sato, the hidden village located between the Land of Fire and Land of Wind borders. His temporary team had been deployed to investigate and assess the situation— and of course, eliminate any threat that could affect the already fragile relationship between Sunagakure and Konohagakure.

"We will travel in a line formation. I will go first, followed by Orochimaru, Chōza, and Shibi. Seeing Shibi and I can sense the enemy's presence more easily, we'll be constantly changing positions between first and last. Chōza will act as a defensive shield if anything were to happen, and Orochimaru will alter between offense and defense. He will be second in command," he explained, waiting for them to absorb every bit of information. "We'll be heading southwest, and our stay is programmed to last a week. We cannot rush things— if we make the smallest of mistakes, war could be the consequence. Understood?"

"Hai, _taichou_ ," the younger jōnins said at the same time, a look of determination clear in their faces. Sakumo turned his head ever so slightly to look at Orochimaru, clearly waiting an answer as well. The raven-haired shinobi resisted the urge to roll his eyes and nodded, a soft «hai» barely reaching the leader's ears. Satisfied, he put the map away and walked past the massive doors, not bothering to look over his shoulder to see if his team had already assumed positions.

"Let's go," he called out and the four of them disappeared into the forest.

* * *

 _ **Day 1.**_

After hours of moving in complete silence, Sakumo finally raised his right fist over his shoulder, indicating the rest to stop. Immediately, the shinobis surrounded him, awaiting indications. They had been jumping between trees for hours now, as it normally took two and a half days to get to Tanigakure— and it was clear they didn't have such time to spare. The sun was already setting, indicating it'd be unwise to keep going.

"We'll camp here for the night. Chōza, gather some wood; Shibi, help me set the tents. Can I trust you with a knife?" He joked while addressing Orochimaru, smirking when the Akimichi ninja snickered to himself and quickly walked away to complete his task. Shibi, on the other hand, didn't seem to be paying them any attention.

"If you want a decent meal, you have no other choice," retorted the other rather dryly, taking the food scroll from Sakumo's hands and walking a few feet away to sit down on a flat rock.

"Hmm. Now, food pills don't sound so bad," he mused out loud, helping Shibi with the individual tents.

"Your ration will be given to Chōza-kun now."

His smirk soon turned into a grimace. Now it was Orochimaru's turn to smirk. Damn.

"Have I told you, Orochi-kun, that you look positively radiant under the sunlight?" Shibi looked up at him with an unreadable expression, but Sakumo was too busy offering his friend his most disarming smile. Orochimaru raised an eyebrow and removed his jōnin vest, neck rolling slowly.

"Just wait until I eat _your_ ration, I'm sure radiant will become a massive understatement."

He sighed. Point taken. Now he would have to force himself to take the awful food pills. The jōnin sulked in silence, only addressing the group once Chōza had returned with the wood.

"After dinner we'll patrol the area. I'll go first." That meant his subordinates and the Sannin (who was a morning person as much as Tsunade was) would have more time to rest and gather enough energy to carry them all the way to the conflict area.

While patrolling, the only thing Sakumo could focus on was the way Orochimaru's fingers had brushed against his own when he had passed over a small bowl containing his food. Not for the first time, he had the feeling he was in deep trouble. Turning his head to the side to look over his shoulder, Sakumo admired the way those raven locks framed Orochimaru's porcelain complexion, his face the most relaxed he had seen in a long, long time.

This mission couldn't be over soon enough.

* * *

 _ **Day 2.**_

They woke up before the sun even came out, packing everything and resuming their trip. His eyes struggled to stay open during the first hour or so, but became painfully wide when the chirping of birds suddenly stopped, replaced by the most irksome of silences. The hair on his neck stood on end, the feeling of being watched only growing by the second. Glancing briefly, he noticed Shibi was just as distressed, unable to pinpoint the enemy's location. They slowed down ever so slightly, and the bloodlust inched closer.

That's when it hit him.

It wasn't a squad like their own. They were completely surrounded by the enemy. Without thinking twice, he made the hand signals and pressed them against the tree branch beneath his feet, the words escaping his lips like second nature.

" _Doton: Doryūheki!_ " Thick walls surrounded them just in time to block the rain of kunais and shurikens thrown their way. Sakumo twirled around and saw to his relief he had managed to protect the three shinobis, droplets of sweat running down his temples. "Shibi!"

"Hai!" It was clear the Aburame didn't need further information. Clasping his hands together, he directed his gaze— or so it seemed— to the opening above them. " _Bōsui no Jin!_ " Hundreds of thousands of insects made their sudden appearance and went directly towards the source of bloodlust, spiraling so fast most of them couldn't retaliate. None of them dared to lower their guard, though. They had all fought a war before, they all knew better.

" _Raiton: Raikyū!_ "

" _Suiton: Mizudeppō!_ "

Sakumo watched in horror as dozens of spheres charged with electricity as well as lethal water bullets flew past the insects and went directly for them, one of them hitting Chōza on the shoulder, not even realizing one had hit him square in the chest.

" _Fūton: Shinkūgyoku!_ " Orochimaru took a deep breath and released blasts of wind, dissipating the electricity almost immediately. Using his special jutsu Nan no Kaizō, he reached down to wrap both elongated arms around Sakumo and Chōza, pulling them up onto a lower branch— it was clear the one he and Shibi were standing on wouldn't resist much longer. Sakumo struggled to stand up, blood trickling down his chin. "Don't be careless, _Shiroi Kiba_! It's clear you can't fight in that state." The statement made Sakumo growl, thumb wiping the blood off his face before glaring at Orochimaru, voice booming the second he pressed his palms to the irregular surface beneath him.

" _Kūchiyose no Jutsu!_ " It a mighty puff of white smoke, Ôkami and two wolves appeared, their fangs bare to the enemy to see. The alpha's white fur seemed to glow in the darkness of the forest, and it turned into a blur when he leaped gracefully onto the branch between Chōza and Orochimaru, actually defending them from any attacks. " _Gomen_ , Ôkami. I don't have treats for you now," he managed through gritted teeth, unsheathing his sword and blocking the kunais thrown their way. "Skōl, Hāti, help us!"

"I ought to eat your head, insolent cub." Despite of his apparent frustration, Ôkami kept his defensive stance.

"Honestly, Sakumo-chan," grumbled Skōl, breaking into a lazy yet deathly sprint. "Oi, Hāti!" The identical summonings jumped high in the air, tails whipping around menacingly.

"You might want to cover your head, snake brat," grunted the older wolf, not amused by the antics of his cubs— even if said «cubs» were almost his size already. Orochimaru looked at them warily, ignoring the nickname for the time being. On extremely rare occasions Sakumo would summon Ôkami, but the times he had seen the other wolves before that moment were none. Deciding to trust the alpha, he tugged Shibi down onto the branch Sakumo was standing on, barely missing the smirk on his lips despite the tense situation. Making two shadow clones, the jōnin sent them to where the wolves were, each clone pressing a hand to their back firmly.

" _Katon: Hiuchi Yagura!_ "

" _Fūton: Senpūken!_ "

" _Uzusenpūhi no Jutsu!"_ The twins howled, and a massive whirlwind vortex attacked the few ninjas that had managed to escape Shibi's attack. The smell of charred flesh reached their noses, but none commented on it— they were no strangers to the situation. Orochimaru soon understood why Ôkami had told him to cover his head— the fire was so massive he had to use _Suiton: Suijinheki_ to create a barrier around them. Once the enemy had been eliminated, the clones disappeared with a «poof», causing the Katon jutsu to stop immediately. Just to make sure, Orochimaru used his chakra to push the wall forward, putting any remnants of the fire out... and hopefully drowning any survivors. Ôkami waited for the younger wolves to approach him, and with a pointed look in Sakumo's direction they disappeared as well. They all understood why moments after, as the silver-haired shinobi collapsed with a grunt.

" _Shimatta_ ," he gasped, gripping his vest tightly. He had used most of his chakra reserves after such complicated jutsus, not even mentioning he had summoned three wolves instead of one. His vision was blurry around the edges, breath slightly erratic.

Orochimaru felt his blood ran cold at the sight. He had seen Jiraiya in worse conditions many times before, and he had been the one to carry Nawaki's lifeless body all the way to Konoha. Yet, the idea of something happening to Sakumo was so horrific he was filled with the unfamiliar feeling of fear. Shibi hurried to Chōza's side and flung one arm over his shoulders, unaware of the Sannin's inner turmoil.

"Orochimaru-san, we must leave immediately. More could be on their way here," his voice was the same monotonous tone, yet it was clear he was still on edge.

"O-Orochi—" Sakumo gripped his elbow and forced himself onto his feet, knees wobbly enough for him to lean heavily against Orochimaru's slightly thinner frame. " _Gomen_... I need help."

"You reckless idiot," said the other softly, and he quickly wrapped one arm around his waist to tug him close. Sakumo only attempted a small smile, but his friend couldn't bring himself to return it. "Just you wait until I tell Kakashi about this, you'll never hear the end of it..." he could feel the hand around his elbow tighten, and the four-man squad disappeared immediately.

They made it to a small clearing soon after, and Orochimaru— despite not being as proficient in the field of medical ninjutsu— began to patch them up, treating Chōza's unconscious body with the help of Shibi. Removing Sakumo's vest and long-sleeved shirt proved to be a challenge since the leader had problem moving without dissolving into pained gasps and curses. The electricity that had hit them had been quite nasty, but Orochimaru wasn't a prodigy for nothing. By the time Sakumo had passed out, they had been properly bandaged and treated.

Shibi had left for some wood, but Orochimaru stayed next to Sakumo until he woke up. He had been unable to identify the uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach.

By the time Sakumo returned to the land of the living, Chōza had already his second serving of whatever Orochimaru had cooked, flashing him a bright smile. If only he could heal as fast as the Akimichi, he mused to himself while moving to sit down, dizziness overwhelming him for a second. A hand on his bare shoulder steadied him, thumb brushing over his collarbone in an almost affectionate manner. Dizziness was soon replaced by a much more intoxicating feeling.

"Take it easy, Sakumo. I will not treat your injuries if they open up," Orochimaru said dryly, a look of relief flickering so briefly the other thought he had imagined it all. "We will make it to our destination before night falls."

They sat closely together while eating, talking about the mission in hushed whispers. If Chōza and Shibi noticed, they didn't talk about it.

Orochimaru didn't mention the Suna hitai-ate he had seen where the battle had taken place. It may him think that if they hadn't encountered the enemy right outside the Land of Fire border, something bad would've happened to Konoha.

They held hands while jumping between trees, but the Sannin kept telling himself that it was to prevent Sakumo from falling.

* * *

 _ **Day 3.**_

Orochimaru had been right in the end, and by the time night had fallen upon them, they were already on the outskirts of the small hidden village. There were even fewer civilians and shinobi than what Sakumo had imagined, and they had registered into a small inn— the only one functioning— wearing civilian clothes with the intention of not causing suspicion. Even though the owner had been more than welcoming, he hadn't been able to shrug off the idea that they were being watched. By Orichimaru's rigid posture, he had thought the same.

It had certainly been one odd night. Not only because they had heard suspicious noises just outside their rooms— the owner had said only two guests were allowed per room, which meant Shibi had shared with Chōza... and he had been left to share a room with Orochimaru. Not that he hadn't wanted to, though— after hours of holding onto that pale hand, Sakumo had been as confused and physically exhausted. But his brain had shut off the second he stepped into the hot shower, and he had dozed off into a light slumber

He woke up hours later, stirring underneath the futon and letting out a soft groan before forcing himself to open one eye. The room was empty, and he became worried when the idea of Orochimaru venturing on his own crossed his mind. His wounds were much better and not as sore, but Sakumo knew better than to move around freely. The last thing he needed was to cause more trouble than what he already had.

"You're already awake."

The jōnin jumped startled and looked at the bathroom, shoulders slumping when he recognized it was his friend simply leaning against the door frame and not some random stranger. He was still wearing civilian clothes, but he could see the holsters on his right leg underneath the baggy pants. They had the habit of wearing their hitai-ate on their other leg if they had to battle a shinobi from another village, but they made it tightly knotted so it wouldn't slip and fall down while trying to get some information.

"You like what you see?" The Sannin asked sarcastically, and Sakumo had to bit his tongue to stop himself from blushing or averting his gaze. "We are to meet Chōza-kun and Shibi-kun at the lobby for breakfast. Should I wait for you here?"

His shoulders tended at that. It sounded so tempting, but...

"You head downstairs. I'll be there in three minutes." Sakumo was already standing up, slowly raising his arms over his head to gather his silver hair into a high ponytail, not bothering to take a shower as he had cleaned himself before bed already. After Orochimaru left, he sighed and dressed quickly, brushing his teeth before following his teammate.

Breakfast was uneventful at best, but as soon as the four of them went on separate ways to gather information from the villagers, the stalking began. The enemy lurked in the shadows and never ventured within fighting distance, simply... assessing. It could only mean trouble, but at least Sakumo would be able to heal better before the next battle. Their time was running out. By the time he had returned to the inn and talked to his subordinates, they had concluded it was in fact Sunagakure shinobis the ones behind the attack back at the forest as well as the incidents occurring around the village. They'd have to other choice but locate and eliminate the threat.

Orochimaru didn't return to their room until well past midnight, but the leader knew there had to be a very good reason behind it. He only hoped nothing bad had happened.

"Sleep," he said but not in his usual commander voice, simply wishing te pale ninja would listen for once instead of brushing the worry to the side. "Tomorrow we'll strike. We need to be in top condition." But despite having done this kind of mission in the past, dread pooled in the pit of his stomach until he couldn't breathe properly.

That night, their futons were a bit closer than usual.

* * *

 _ **Day 4-5.**_

Sakumo woke with a start, clutching his shirt and gasping softly for air, silver locks sticking to his forehead in the most uncomfortable of ways.

It had been only a nightmare. Still, adrenaline cursed through his veins like wildfire, an uncomfortably itch under his skin. That sense of foreshadowing... the thoughts hanging heavily in the air... it could only mean one thing.

 _Shinobi rule #WhoEvenKnowsAtThisPoint: Always trust your gut._

"Orochi."

"Hn?"

If he hadn't been so alarmed, he would've laughed at the lack of snark.

"Gather your things."

Orochimaru was on his feet in no time, hair in a neat bun and hands grasping his weapons.

"Already?"

Sakumo didn't answer at first, grabbing his sandals and slipping them off with ease. "We have no time." Just as he was about to grab his sword and his vest, he felt Orochimaru grab his shoulder hard enough to make him stop.

"Take your shirt off."

Despite trying to fight the blush, his cheeks turned a light pink. Orochimaru then seemed to realize what he had assumed, and he blushed too, surprising them both. Trying to cover it with a smirk, he let his hand fall to his side.

"While I'm sure there are far more... **interesting** scenarios in your head right now, I just need to asses the wound to see if it's properly healed. We wouldn't want Kakashi-kun to have an unpleasant surprise, no?" The Sannin pulled his shirt up without another word, and Sakumo resisted the urge to tug it back down. Instead, he let those cool, soft fingers brush against his chest and torso, sending shivers down his spine. Ignoring the warm, green glow radiating from Orochimaru's palm, he fixed his gloves and flexed his fingers, trying his darn best to stop himself from doing something stupid. The warm breath caressing his shoulder was already trying his self-control.

But then Orochimaru looked up at him with those golden eyes, staring right into his soul. Slightly parted lips, and Rikkudo, that tongue tracing the lower one absently...

Sakumo leaned in just a fraction, ready to—

"You have healed quite nicely. I suppose you won't be much of a bother if we end up engaging in a battle," mused Orochimaru, pulling away and acting as if nothing had happened. The other shinobi squirmed a bit and quickly fixed his shirt, face flushed in humiliation. Not even an idiot would've thought something like that could have happened. Upset, he grabbed his flak vest and jumped out of the window, not daring to look at the Sannin in the eye. Chōza and Shibi were already waiting for him, Konoha hitai-ates glinting proudly.

No words were needed. They already know what they needed to do.

And it was a massacre.

Orochimaru was forced to unsheathe _Kusanagi_ , and Sakumo used the infamous _Shiroi Kiba no Densetsu_ against better judgement— opening the wound in the process, much to Orochimaru's disapproval. The enemy was downright ruthless, injuring both Shibi and Chōza in the process. Blood covered their bodies, and Sakumo could taste the metal in his tongue, making every muscle in his body tense. They won the battle, buy barely so. Sakumo had acted like a human shield when a powerful Fūton jutsu had been aimed at Orochimaru, rendering him useless right before the climax of the battle. The raven-haired shinobi ended up using the triple Rashomon to protect him before using his many snakes to obliterate the enemy. The four man squad ended up gasping for air, having escaped Death by mere luck.

"I thought you had better judgement," snapped Orochimaru the moment he regained his voice, his golden eyes bright with fury. He had almost lost Sakumo because the knucklehead had thought he didn't have time to properly defend himself. He staggered towards the leader, gripping his vest and pinning him to the nearest tree, not giving a damn about his injuries. Their subordinates were unconscious a few feet away, and Sakumo coughed a bit of blood at the sudden impact. "You could have died, you fool! I know how to protect myself!"

"I-I just had to," gasped the other, giving him such a powerful stare Orochimaru felt his knees weak in the most pathetic of ways. "I can't lose you, Orochi. You... I..."

More blood was coughed. Orochimaru growled, hand trembling while they tightened around the fabric to the point his knuckles turned paper white. Sakumo merely smiled, placed a hand over his own, giving it an affectionate squeeze.

"You mean a lot to me."

"Then you are more foolish that what I thought."

"Don't you care about me?"

"A shinobi knows better than trust his emotions."

"I care about you, Orochi. More than you'll ever know."

"Then you're an idiot."

"I know you feel the same."

He didn't answer. But Sakumo wouldn't take silence for an answer. Instead, he slapped Orochimaru's hand away and gripped his vest in return while the last bit of self-preservation fled his body, not giving him time to react as their lips connected in a scorching kiss. At first the pale ninja didn't know what to do, too shocked to even blink, but when he felt that warm tongue trace his lower lip, he did the only thing his gut told him to do.

He knocked the taste out of Sakumo's mouth.

Said shinobi staggered backwards before his rear collapsed with the ground, head spinning uncontrollably as unconsciousness claimed him. Orochimaru was breathing heavily, lips tingling in the most heavenly of ways while every muscle in his body told him to run as fast as he could. Unable to move, he sat down and looked at Sakumo's unconscious body, trying to register whatever the hell had happened.

Sakumo had kissed him.

And he had _enjoyed_ it.

Shaking, he pushed his emotions to the side and healed his comrades, not daring to treat Sakumo until making sure Shibi was properly patched up. As soon as his pale hands touched the Hatake's warm chest, his body was claimed by warmth, quivering and twitching for some attention. Sakumo was too busy breathing, his lip split and cheek bruising quite badly— all courtesy of Orochimaru. It was clear neither of them would wake up right away, but even then he couldn't bring himself to pull away. Instead, he leaned in and kissed Sakumo again, not caring the other man was unconscious and unresponsive. Those soft lips felt like clouds against his own, and Orochimaru could taste the faintest traces of peppermint and cinnamon in them.

Fucking hell, his mind growled, you're completely smitten.

And he really was.

Nothing they weren't in danger anymore, Orochimaru reared his forehead against one tanned shoulder, now moving for an hour or so.

Eventually, they all waked up. Sakumo didn't mention the kiss, and he wasn't brave enough to do it either.

* * *

 _ **Day 6.**_

Sakumo didn't spare a look in his direction, too ashamed to even address Orochimaru. The Sannin only saw his back during their return to Konoha.

His heart ached. But his pride wouldn't let him act freely.

That night, while camping, they slept on opposite sides, making Chōza wonder what the hell had happened while he had been unconscious. The nasty bruise on Sakumo's cheeks made it painfully clear that they should not ask any questions regarding the matter.

* * *

Sakumo dreamt of those hands tracing every inch of his body, lips attached to his own and the most delicious on sensations pooling in the pit of his stomach. But instead of basking in it, he pushed the thought away and spent the rest of the night walking around the clearing.

He didn't dare think about his hurt feelings.

Orochimaru's dreams were less forgiving.

* * *

 _ **Day 7.**_

"We're finally here, _minna_ ," said Sakumo the second they appeared in front of the main entrance, turning to smile at his team. The mission had been downright hellish for more than one reason, but being only a few steps from their home made Sakumo's heart feel less heavy. "I will report to Hokage-sama'd office, you can all go home. Please rest, you certainly all deserve it."

Chōza was surprisingly hesitant to do so,unlike Shibi who had disappeared the moment he had been allowed to.

"Are you sure, Sakumo _taichou_? I can go with you if you like."

Sakumo's smile turned a bit more relaxed. The Akimichi truly had a heart of gold.

"Hai, Chōza. Don't you worry. I'll be fine."

But his subordinate didn't leave until a good minute later, looking over his shoulder at all times.

Orochimaru hadn't even bother to blink.

"Won't you say the same to me?"

"Do you want me to?"

The pain in Sakumo's voice made him squirm uncontrollably.

"Sakumo, I..."

"Yes?"

Silence.

Sakumo sighed, and forced himself to smile once more. It hurt, but he didn't want to lose Orochimaru because of a stupid thing.

" _Gomen_ , Orochimaru. I wasn't thinking when I... you know. I know better now. It won't happen again."

The Sannin's breath hitched in his throat.

"But what if I want you to?"

"Then..." Sakumo's hands were shaking a bit, and he refused to meet the other's gaze. "Then, you shouldn't play with my emotions like that."

"Sakumo—"

"I have to report to the Hokage's office."

But the hand gripping his wrist prevented him from fleeing.

"Look at me."

"No."

"Sakumo."

" _No_."

"You stubborn idiot."

He was spun around and suddenly felt warm lips pressing against his own. Right there, in the middle of the entrance. Sakumo looked at Orochimaru's closed eyes, and only closed his own when it was already too late.

He had already pulled away.

"I think we both need to think about it."

A knife to his heart would've hurt less.

"Orochimaru."

"Hm?"

His tone was too hopeful. Too eager.

" _Daisuki_ , Orochi-kun."

But before he could reply, Sakumo had already left.

 _ **Daisuki**_.

He should've fought the smile that made its way to his lips. He should've fought the fluttering in his chest. He should've fought the hope bubbling deep down.

But he couldn't fight Sakumo Hatake.

" _Daisuki_ , Kumo-kun."

* * *

A/N: Aaand that's it! I can't say I'm particularly proud about this chapter, but you tell me what you think! 5k words, I'm exhausted. Hope you guys like it!


	7. Chapter 7

It was cold. And dark.

Disturbingly so.

The enemy had been clever enough to lure in out of Konoha and make him retreat to that particular clearing, a little too close to his secret laboratory, the sight of Konoha blocked by the immense trees surrounding him.

Orochimaru looked around, a kunai heavy in his hand and Kusanagi resting against the back of his throat rather uncomfortably. He didn't want to use it, but it was obvious the ones that had followed him all the way outside the village and into the Restricted Grounds were not enemies to be underestimated. He had been aware of a presence following him for some time now, ever since he had failed to show up at the designated meeting place Danzō had shared with him. Ever since Orochimaru had allowed Sakumo— and of course, Kakashi— into his life, the idea of risking his position as a shinobi of Konoha (and even worse, life there) had seemed so utterly ridiculous he had refused to acknowledge the hints the emotionless man had been leaving around him.

He knew he couldn't avoid him any longer. Orochimaru already knew too much— about his wishes to get rid of the Uchiha clan, or how he wanted to use their Kekkei Genkai to (allegedly) cheat death itself. He had been also offered the free reign of experimentation on humans— children, to be more specific. And while the idea of his research developing was certainly enticing, to think he'd be doing that on a kid the same age as Kakashi made him sick to his stomach.

He had already seen the kids who quite hadn't made it to Root, but were too _special_ for them to be let free of the silent hell owned by Shimura. Kids who would've undoubtedly showed promise had he accepted, but... he couldn't now.

It was almost disgusting, how much he had allowed himself to change in less than a year. He was still vicious, and he never forgot nor forgave— he still had to deal with that hole in his chest, consuming everything greedily. But the pain of solitude had disappeared already.

His parents were still gone, but Sakumo was still there. And he was real, warm, and most importantly, living.

And that was the reason he simply couldn't lose to a pathetic group like that. Deciding that maybe he should allow himself some... liberty to just _be_ , Orochimaru opened his mouth and retrieved his beloved sword, the blade glinting dangerously under the crescent moon.

They all got closer.

The scent of blood made his stomach churn, and the Sannin thought about calling Sakumo for much needed help, but he pushed the thought aside as quickly as it came. It was too late, and maybe it was his pride getting in the way.

The overwhelming Killing Intent made the animals surrounding the area flee without a second thought.

A rustle of leaves.

He took a deep breath.

And lunged forward.

* * *

Sakumo looked up his book, scowling as a deep unsettling feeling invaded him. The night was cold, and even if his son was already in bed, he just knew something had gone terribly, horribly wrong. He got up and reached out for his jōnin uniform.

Perhaps he needed to go out for a walk.

But... people who went out on random walks never took their weapons with them.

* * *

 _Three days later..._

Kakashi was unable to focus. He had tried to read the same sentence for fifteen minutes before giving up entirely, pushing the scroll away from him and sighing in obvious frustration. Not that he needed to read the theory behind genjutsu to do his homework, but he had hoped it'd do something to distract him from the sense of restlessness that had settled deep in his bones. He looked at the calendar hanging on the kitchen wall, brows furrowing to the point he was sporting a rather deep scowl.

Two weeks. He hadn't seen Orochimaru in _two full weeks._

The reminder made him twitch unconsciously. Of course, the reason behind his sudden disappearance was too obvious, but Kakashi didn't have the heart to ask Sakumo about it, knowing fully well he was probably blaming himself from whatever had happened. But... it had been just a _tiny_ kiss, right? Surely it was nothing too disastrous that would result in something like this. He honestly didn't understand why they were acting like Sakura after Sasuke had left— his father was almost worse than your average moody teenager (Sasuke).

(But then again, Kakashi had never had expertise in the particular field of romance. _Icha Icha Paradise_ had only been able to give poor insight at best as Jiraiya had been the one writing the entire series, and the jōnin had never been particularly interested in committing to someone like that. He seemed to curse everyone who wanted to be near him.)

He sighed again, pulling himself onto his feet and stretching lazily. He had heard the familiar clanking of pans against the stove, and if Sakumo was feeling the same, it was best if Kakashi offered his help to make dinner. While he had expected Orochimaru to take his time before coming around, the fact that he had apparently shut him out as well had been quite shocking to say the least— not that Kakashi had minded, because he was an adult that could respect other's decisions.

He'd never admit he had been slightly hurt by it, though.

"Oi, tou-san, you'll chop your fingers off if you keep doing that." Climbing onto the chair, he gently nudged his father to the side before grabbing the knife from the counter, resuming the easy task of dicing veggies without much of a thought. Looking around, he noticed that they would make Hiyashi Chuka instead of normal ramen. There were no eggs in the pile of ingredients.

It was painfully obvious a certain someone wouldn't be joinin them.

"You take care of the noodles, yeah?" His father was unusually quiet, but smiled at him nonetheless and began to work diligently, as if hoping it'd ease the fog in his head.

Rikkudo be damned, what the fuck had happened?

* * *

Genma stopped by later that day to play with him, but Sakumo hadn't left his room once, not even to greet the boy he considered like his own son. The fact had shaken Kakashi more than he'd ever care to admit, especially once he found himself in his room. His father looked too haunted, unable to even look at Kakashi in the eye.

The distant memories were now too bright, too vivid.

He wondered if he had messed everything up by existing in this timeline.

* * *

Kakashi forced himself to do something he had always deemed as ridiculous. But he was desperate at that point, and Rikkudo knew he was desperate to stop his dad from turning into... into Him.

He knocked on Sakumo's shōji door, voice soon following.

"... Dad?" Waiting for a minute, Kakashi stopped himself from opening the door and making sure there were no bloody tatami mats. "May I come in?"

"Pup?" Came the groggy reply soon after, and his entire frame sagged in complete relief. "What's wrong?"

"I just..." he slid the door open a bit too eagerly and stepped in, barely reminding himself to close the door again before working his way between Sakumo's already warm sheets. "I just want to sleep with you tonight."

"Pup?" Sakumo was clearly confused now.

"It's cold outside, and you're warm." Kakashi snuggled into the comforting warmth, feeling Sakumo pull him closer and relax back against his much smaller body. "You don't mind... do you?"

"F'course not... you're m'son..." His dad was struggling with each word before he opened his mouth in a yawn, not bothering to open his eyes. It was too dark to see a thing, anyway. They stayed in that position for a bit until—

"Dad?"

Sakumo jolted awake, having already drifted off. "Hmm?"

"I love you."

"I love... you too, Pup..."

* * *

The answers to some of his questions came to him a few days after. Kakashi had found himself walking around the village after his classes had ended, having walked Rin home alongside Obito. Sunagakure nins has been spotted around the borders of the village a few days prior, and everyone had been increasingly upset about the sudden feeling of insecurity. Kakashi and Obito had agreed to a truce in their «all-knowing» maturity to look after their friend and walk her home everyday, much to her father's amusement and sincere gratitude. His own father had been sent on yet another mission, and the silver-haired boy wished for the first time he could go on missions as well. And to think he'd be given E-rank ones at best even if he graduated early...

Too absorbed in his thoughts, he failed to see the head of the Akimichi ichizoku talking (more like gossiping) with Inoichi Yamanaka.

"... I'm telling you, the guards told me Orochimaru-sama kissed him," he said in a hushed whisper, a ridiculously big bag of chips safe in his equally ridiculously big hand. The blond before him omly raised a brow in clear disbelief. Kakashi stopped dead on his tracks and quickly hid between two small shops, hiding his presence rather easily. "And when we were on that mission they were..."

Kakashi had to lean a bit closer to hear the rest, barely resisting the urge to groan out loud. While it had been too much of a coincidence to find Chōza talking about that particular subject, it shouldn't be much of a surprise— Sakumo's dull attitude and Orochimaru's reluctance to be anywhere around him— or any human being, for that matter— had sparked quite a few rumors to the point Gemma had asked him about it after taijutsu practice. They had been inseparable for months and now, and out of nowhere, they avoided each other like the plague.

But that didn't answer his question. Sakumo had admitted he had kissed Orochimaru, and apparently he had returned the favor in the middle of the entrance to the village of all places, so... what was wrong?

The restlessness was back in no time, this time accompanied by a disturbing sense of dread.

Something _bad_ had happened.

Kakashi stood there for a few more minutes, trying to get all the details before heading home, trying to recall everything that had happened in the last two weeks. His father had been fine but a couple of days after his return, he had spent the night somewhere else— making the boy think he had... err, engaged in certain activities with the Sannin. Alas, he had returned the next morning looking distraught and helpless, with dark bags under his eyes and a too pale complexion. Too sudden, too troublesome. But it had soon become an unspoken rule to not ask about whatever had happened or the Sannin himself.

He had blamed his father's behavior to something as trivial as sex. Kami, he had been so blind.

He jumped between rooftops quickly, rolling around to see if there was someone suspicious around. Surely enough, a black blur made its appearance on his peripheral vision, and Kakashi only had the fraction of a second to turn his head and try to identify the figure. He saw no face, instead... a mask too familiar for comfort turned to stare right through him. His heart skipped a beat in response, but before he could do anything else, the stranger disappeared without leaving a trace of his existence.

That mask... no, he couldn't be mistaken.

 _It was a Root mask._

Then the question came— what if... what if Danzō has somehow managed to talk to Orochimaru. Or even worse... what if he had forced Orochimaru to do something against his will? Like those horrifying _experiments?_

Oh, Rikkudo. Tenzou...

Kakashi was then assaulted by a feeling he had never experienced before. His hands began to shake, and a pricking sensation spread from his fingertips to his neck and ears, body shuddering in response. His heart was beating too fast and too loud— the people beneath him could probably hear it without much problem. Sweat rolled down his temples and fucking hell, he shouldn't have been that scared. He had faced the bad Orochimaru, Madara, the Edo Tensei'd kages from the other elemental nations, the Kirigakure Swordmen, and even Obito. He had dealt with far worse than some nins obeying a pretentious ass.

But he wasn't that Kakashi anymore.

He wasn't so fearless (and maybe slightly suicidal) anymore. He was a kid, he was nervous.

He wanted his dad.

As soon as his feel touched the ground, the boy ran into the compound, throwing his bag to the side without bothering to kick his sandals off, or close the door for that matter.

"Tou-san? Dad! Are you here, dad?"

Silence. Kakashi stopped breathing to listen to his surroundings, trying to pick on the faintest disturbances to see if there was an intruder or not. His dad would've answered right away— specially by the urgent edge in his voice. Maybe he had yet to return from his mission...

" _Dad?!_ "

Not that it stopped him from trying.

He then felt movement behind him and immediately instinct kicked in, forcing him to turn around and make the hand seals for the _Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu._ To his surprise, it was none other than...

"Rin?!"

"Kakashi, I saw you running to your house and I wanted to see if everything was fine." She offered one of her charming smiles, but something was off. It just didn't feel right. It lacked its usual warmth.

"Don't come any closer!"

The girl blinked and took a step back in surprise before trying to reach out to grab his shoulder. Kakashi narrowed his eyes and jumped back, his back lightly hitting the kitchen counter. He didn't dare put his hands down, chakra lightly burning the back of his tongue.

"What was the prize that I won at the festival when we first met?"

"Why would I... I don't remember, Kakashi. Are you—"

"You're not Rin!"

Rin's face gave away her shock before it morphed into clear fury, face soon losing her delicate features. The Henge was broken with a puff, and it's place there was the same Root nin he had seen on his way there.

"Don't make this difficult, boy."

Kakashi wished he had a decent sword at hand— he didn't want to burn his house to fucking ashes because of a stupid thing like this.

"Katon...!"

But the man was too fast for his young body. A hand seized him by the throat, making the words die effectively in his mouth and his tiny hands fly to grip the much larger one. Kakashi kicked and bit into the gloves hand hard enough to draw blood, quickly concluding Danzō must've order for his capture without getting him killed in the process. It was clear the man could seriously injure him if he really wanted to.

"L-Let me g-go...!"

The hand only tightened and Kakashi gasped, the lack of air making his lungs burn painfully. His gaze was so fixed on the mask covering the stranger's identity, he didn't noticed another presence in his house. Something blurry ran past the ANBU's back and one second later he was real easing the boy before falling to the floor with a faint «thud». The kid looked up in surprise, eyes only widening even more when he came face to face with his father. He didn't even realize their bodies were shaking quite badly.

"T-T—... when did mom die?"

Sakumo's expression softened, but he tepid glare he had moments ago would forever be engraved in his son's mind.

Protect the ones you love, right?

"June 3rd. We placed a bouquet of roses on her grave the day she was buried."

Kakashi took a deep breath before jumping into those open arms, face buried in Sakumo's chest firmly.

"It has to do with Orochimaru-san, no...? Why are they after us...?" If there was a thing he absolutely despised, it was the fact he didn't know every detail to prevent catastrophe from happening. That, and feeling like he was just messing things up more and more with each passing moment. Or, not being able to control his emotions. "What did Danzō do to him, dad?!"

He missed the shocked expression on his father's face.

"How you do... why do you think Danzō had anything to do with this?"

Kakashi pulled away in slight frustration, missing the warm body against his own immediately. Had he been older, he probably would've done something about it. He would've been able to go to the Hokage's Tower and talk to Sarutobi-sama about it without being brushed to the side. But no. He was just a kid.

A kid that shouldn't know something about Danzō's organization, but he didn't give a damn at the moment.

"He's part of Root, right? I bet he had the seal on his tongue if we check. He's done something to Orochimaru, tou-san." His father winced, and realization soon hit. "You know about this, don't you?" Kakashi was close to actually panicking. Did Orochimaru really...? Would kids start disappearing now? And the Uchihas? Would Danzō get his arm now? He felt dizzy, bile rising in his throat dangerously fast. "Where is he?"

"Kakashi, this is not something you should know. He's safe."

" _Where is he?!_ "

" _Kakashi!_ "

"No!" Kakashi was grateful he still had his sandals on, and quickly ran past his father and out of the compound, not knowing where to go at first. But he had to start somewhere, and quickly— if his father caught him it'd be game over, and Rikkudo knew everything would probably go to shit after that. His feet moved faster than his head, and without realizing he was venturing into the thick forest.

Of course.

That laboratory.

Ignoring his father's distant voice, he pushed himself to run faster until his legs begged for mercy, needles pricking his lungs. If he was truly safe— and he doubted it, because Danzō Shimura was the sneakiest son of a bitch he had ever met in his life— Orochimaru would most likely be hiding... somewhere. Anywhere but his house and the Hatake compound. Going to those places meant risking too much, and Orochimaru wouldn't do it.

Because he was in love with Sakumo.

Because he was Kakashi's friend.

" _Fuck_ ," he cursed under his breath, the lack of weaponry on him reminding him that he would most likely lose if he were to engage in a battle. Unless... "This is going to end badly, I just know it." Kakashi shook his head and raised his hands just a bit, having to slow down enough to concentrate.

" _Kage Būnshin no Jutsu!_ " The shadow clone materialized in the blink of an eye before turning around and running back home, using a different route so Sakumo wouldn't follow him. His heart was pounding loudly in his ears, and he just prayed to all the deities up there his father kept his summoning scroll in his room. Ôkami or even one of his cubs would be much more efficient than a handful of shurikens. But he wasn't reckless enough to do what Jiraiya had done when he had been a kid— he simply couldn't afford the trip to a mystic place in Kami knows where.

"You better be alright," he whispered under his breath, the underground entrance coming into view. "I swear to Kami, I'll beat you to a bloody pulp if you don't." Only when he could look at it properly, he stopped dead in his tracks. His veins turned to ice.

The door had been ripped from its hinges, and splinters were scattered all over. The hallway revealed was pitch black, a sure death sentence to everyone who dared to take a step inside. But that wasn't really was worried him, no. It was the sheer strength of the Killing Intent that had him frozen on the spot, making every muscle in his body tense. It felt like it had been too long since the last time he had experienced that. Forcing himself to move, he grabbed one of the bigger splinters and stabbed his arm with it, trying to get his body to work normally before even getting closer to the hallway. Soon enough the blood returned to his limbs, and the fog in his head dissipated enough to allow him to think properly.

The voice behind him was getting louder. His father was getting closer.

Kakashi took a deep breath and jumped down from the tree branch he had been standing on, his eyes pitch black as he ventured into Orochimaru's laboratory.

Darkness engulfed him.

* * *

A/N: Sorry for the delay!! It wasn't my intention to take this long, but next weeks is finals week and I'm extremely stressed. I'm also writing fics for Shaman King and Kaleido Star. Any Fool or Faust VIII fans here? Let me know so we can fangirl together.


	8. Chapter 8

Kakashi took a step forward in the suffocating darkness, and then another, trying his best to ignore the growing need to turn around and leave that place. The Killing Intent got stronger the further he stepped into the laboratory, and even his naturally enhanced senses didn't help him in his predicament. He couldn't see anything past his nose, and the hallway was so ridiculously wide his hands didn't reach any of the walls. Every now and then the floor would become slightly slippery, and the faint smell of blood would reach his nose.

Not a gust of wind, not a sound. Nothing.

Rikkudo, he had been through far worse than that. He had actually tried to remember all the times he had infiltrated in Orochimaru's hidden lair, but the memories were foggier and even more blurrier the harder he tried to remember about specific details. It did nothing to soothe the growing panic in his chest, because the last thing he needed to worry about was losing his memories. Kakashi licked along his dry lips and turned left, eyes widening when he noticed a door slightly ajar, and the cold light pouring out the small crack. He had a bad feeling about whatever was about to happen— everything was simply too coincidental, too perfect to be real life. The Killing Intent emanating from the room was enough for him to shiver un undiluted fear.

Kakashi realized he need the scroll, and he needed it now. Closing his eyes, he tried to focus on his chakra, pinpointing his clone's exact location before his body relaxed in slight relief. It was close, perhaps close enough to come across his father on their way there. There was nothing he could do about it— he had already done enough by fucking things up. So he just opened his eyes and crouched, looking for a weapon rather blindly to protect himself if necessary. His fingers grazed the cold handle of a heavy kunai, and he held onto it for dear life. Tendrils of chakra enveloped the blade, and Kakashi only hoped it'd do for the time being, walking to the door without making a sound. Taking a deep breath, he grasped the cold doorknob with his free hand and swung it open.

The sight that greeted him made bile rise in the back of his throat.

Blood covered every surface in the ridiculously small room, the stench of body fluids and just gore making him dry heave a couple of times before emptying his stomach completely. He had been a commander in the ANBU forces, an elite jōnin for most part of his previous life— he had seen everything there was to be seen. Kakashi had killed countless of people. But this... this was something else entirely. There had been no mercy. Whoever was responsible for the massacre had enjoyed every minute of it.

And said person was looking at him from the corner of the room.

Ignoring the bitter taste in his mouth, Kakashi clicked his mouth shut and took a hesitant step forward, ignoring the sick wet noise his sandals did upon stepping into a puddle of dark blood.

"You shouldn't be here."

"Where is he?"

Danzō purses his lips in disapproval and shrugged one of his shoulders, and Kakashi notices to his horror that the right side of his face was covered with blood stained bandages. But it couldn't be— Shisui Uchiha has yet to be born, so who could—

The answer came to him a second after, and Kakashi realized he wouldn't make it out of there alive.

It had to be Kagami Uchiha's eye.

"And why do you care, boy?" The corners of Danzō's mouth curved into a cruel smirk, and Kakashi bristled visibly despite his fear. "Ah— you must be Sakumo's son."

"Because he's family," he replied after a heartbeat, fingers tightening around the kunai until his knuckles turned an alarming shade of white.

"Did you hear that, Orochimaru? You're _family_." His heart stopped all of a sudden when Danzō stepped to the side to reveal a blood covered form, and if Orochimaru hadn't looked up to look at him with those golden eyes, Kakashi wouldn't have believed it was him after all.

"I-Idiot ch-child, why—" Orochimaru coughed a mouthful of blood and covered his mouth to muffle the sound, his free arm wrapped tightly around his midsection.

He was bleeding to death.

The realization hit and Kakashi barely resisted the urge to lunge forward and kill Danzō with his bare hands. This wasn't supposed to happen. None of that. "You see, Kakashi-kun, this—" Shimura waved around rather lazily while his left eye stared pointedly at a chunk of flesh next to Kakashi's feet, "this is what happens when you go against me. Now, are you sure you want to fight me?" Danzō closed the distance between them, one hand moving to choke Kakashi just like his subordinate had less than an hour ago. Orochimaru's pained gasps did nothing to alleviate the tension, and the only reason Kakashi didn't fight was because he couldn't even bring himself to raise his arms.

That's when he realized the Killing Intent hadn't been Orochimaru's, but Danzō's.

Kakashi was so deep in his fear-induced trance, he didn't react when the viselike grip around his throat disappeared, but as soon as a scroll was thrust into his hand quite roughly and something disappeared beside him he shook his head and looked at his hand.

The summoning scroll.

Then—

"Ka—" Sakumo's voice died quickly in his throat when he saw Orochimaru already losing consciousness and a bloody smear around his son's throat. His chakra turned unstable with rage when he saw Danzō look at Kakashi like an animal ready to pounce on his prey, and without waiting another second he charged.

"Tou-san!" Kakashi's eyes widened in horror as they became blurry figures, and he would've tried to help Sakumo had a painfully weak voice not reached his ears.

"Hatch... ling..."

" _Shimatta_ ," he hissed under his breath and opened the scroll, biting down on his finger to sign right next to Sakumo's distinct signature. His heart was pounding in his chest, and his hands were sweating profusely while making the right hand signs for a summoning. He had never learned the basics of medical ninjutsu, and in such delicate situation the only thing he could do was to take Orochimaru to the hospital. " _Kūchiyose no Jutsu!_ " With a mighty puff of white smoke Ôkami appeared and looked around, looking more frustrated than alarmed. Still, his ears were pointing upwards.

"So now the cub's cub can summon me? Great Kiba, this is getting ridiculous."

"Ôkami-sama, please!" Kakashi tan to Orochimaru's side and he used every ounce of strength in his body to place Orochimaru's body atop the wolf's back, apologizing profusely whenever the man would gasp in pain. "You'll be fine, Chi-san..." Turning to look at Ôkami, who didn't look pleased as Orochimaru's blood trickled down his fur, Kakashi simply scratched behind his ear— a little trick he had learned from Sakumo in his previous life. It seemed to do wonders, and the summoning only let out a soft growl and ran out of the room and into the dark hallway, knowing what to do. " _Kage Būnshin no Jutsu!_ " Using a great amount of chakra, he managed to produce two clones and send one with Ôkami while the other was sent to inform the Hokage.

He couldn't leave Sakumo. He just couldn't—

Kakashi didn't even register what he was doing until he saw a giant wall between Danzō and his father. While Sakumo's jaw was swollen and there was a nasty cut across his forehead, Danzō wasn't even sweating, his new Sharingan twirling dangerously in his direction. The only thing out of place was the cut on his eyebrow and the blood dripping from his palms— he must've stopped Sakumo's sword with his bare hands. The first thing he registered was—

No Mangekyō Sharingan.

"You've made the wrong decision, boy," whispered Danzō, and it made his insides turn to ice. "Do remember this in the afterlife."

Kakashi's chakra reserves were dangerously low, and it was obvious he wouldn't be able to do anything other than run. He had done thing not even an experienced jōnin could in the blink of an eye, and was now exhausted to the point he could barely stand on his own.

He had the slight feeling he wouldn't be allowed to graduate with his friends.

" _Katon: Hōsenka no Jutsu!_ " Dozens— no, _hundreds_ of fireballs flew in Danzō's direction, and before Kakashi knew it, Sakumo was tugging him into the forest while the vicious fire consumed every body discarded in the hallways. He gasped when the flames reached his right leg, but quickly put them out with his small hands. The Hatakes just sat against a tree while watching the fire— Kakashi was certain Sakumo was only doing it because he wanted to see if Danzō would come out or not. They were both breathing hard, sweat making their silver hair stick to their foreheads as well as their clothes. The smell of charred flesh made Kakashi nauseous but he had nothing else to vomit.

Sakumo stood up after what seemed like forever, and when he turned to look at Kakashi, he looked livid.

"Do you have any idea of what you just did?"

Kakashi flinched, and bit his tongue to stop himself from saying that perhaps it wasn't the best time to receive an earful as Orochimaru was pretty much dying on his way to the hospital. He had never seen his father like that— it made his chest feel uncomfortably empty.

"Answer me."

"I... I just..."

Silence.

"You and I will have a very long talk when we get home, Kakashi."

Kakashi then expected to be told to stand up on his own and walk home or something like that, but then Sakumo's arms slipped beneath his knees and back, pulling him close to his chest. Perhaps he had noticed the wound on his thigh and had decided he'd be a bother if left on his own, but the pain and worry clear in his father's eyes told him it was nothing of the sort.

It made him feel like shit.

He averted his gaze, reminding himself not to feel guilty.

They had saved Orochimaru.

Everything would be okay.

Or so he hoped.

* * *

They walked into the hospital only to find at least a dozen ANBUs guarding the operation room. Sarutobi and Shikaku were waiting outside the room, almost hidden in the sea of white masks. Kakashi, having asked Sakumo to put him down before entering, practically ran to the Hokage, trying his best to push the shinobis away. His father approached at a much measured pace, and put a hand on his shoulder as if to tell him to stop, but he simply had to know.

"Hokage-sama, is he alright? What happened?" Kakashi tried his best to squeeze between the larger pair of legs, glaring at whoever the hell they were with as much anger as he could muster at the moment. His clone had disappeared pretty much as soon as Orochimaru had been admitted for an emergency operation, not able to hold the jutsu any longer. Ôkami was nowhere to be seen, so he had probably left as well. "Please, I need to know!" The hand on his shoulder squeezes gently, but Kakashi couldn't bring himself to look at his father.

The ANBU ninjas parted as soon as Hiruzen walked towards Kakashi, going as far as to kneel before him to gently ruffle his silver-hair affectionately. There were many emotions swirling in those dark eyes of his, but the only one Kakashi could recognize right away was relief.

"You did well, Kakashi-kun. Orochimaru..." he sighed, and for a moment it seemed like Hiruzen was the one who needed comfort, not the boy before him. "He's always been a strong ninja. He'll be alright. We have to leave it to the medics."

"But..!"

"Now, now. As soon as he gets admitted into the IC are we'll let you know. I have the feeling he'll be ecstasy to see you. And your father too, of course." The Hokage straightened his posture and smiled down at him. "You need to get those wounds checked, I'll walk you."

"Hokage-sama—" Sakumo stopped himself and nodded his head, clearly appreciating the gesture even if they knew it was simply so he could ask the specific details of whatever had happened. "We both appreciate it." He gently tugged Kakashi along, and his son followed closely after looking at the doors of the operation room intently.

Sakumo's injuries were treated first while the Hokage asked Kakashi about every single detail, and the younger of the two was not shy to tell him absolutely everything. The only thing he left out was his own hypothesis as to why Danzō had done all that. It must've been some kind of punishment for not obeying his summonings after the night Kakashi found Orochimaru walking into the forest. When he mentioned the fact that the Root leader had a Sharingan Hiruzen looked much older and upset than he had ever seen him in his life. It was a sight he never wanted to experience again.

"Why didn't you wait for someone to go there before you? He could've hurt you, Kakashi." They both knew that was simply the PG-13 version of « ** _he would've killed you if your father hadn't made it on time_** », but Kakashi shrugged because he had stopped Danzō from doing that to Orochimaru. "You surely understand the severity of the situation."

"He's family." Kakashi looked at Hiruzen dead in the eye before shrugging again. Not that his reasoning would stop his father from giving him an earful, but it was the truth. "And we protect family at all costs, don't we sir?"

Hiruzen blinked in surprise and he could see his father turn to look at him with his jaw slightly ajar from the corner of his eye. Then he continued, "Had I waited for my father to even believe me in the first place, Kami knows what would've happened. I might've been brash, but I'm not stupid, Hokage-sama." Oh, if only Naruto could see him now...

The Hokage laughed out loud and that and nodded a couple of times, clearly amused by what he had just heard. Such big words from a little boy, he mused— then again, Sakumo has been the same, so he shouldn't be so surprised. "I will of course take your testimony, Sakumo, but I think that can wait. Kakashi here has been quite thorough and we need to start the investigation right away. Now, I will see you soon. And congratulations, Kakashi."

At that, Kakashi frowned in confusion. Why on earth would the Hokage congratulate him?

"Sir?"

"Ah, of course— an old man like me tends to forget things." Hiruzen turned to look at both father an son. "I simply thought it went without saying that you have clearly surpassed gēnin level after not only making a clone, but summoning Ôkami as well. Early graduations are rare but certainly not unheard of. And after only a month and a half, no less. You, my boy, are clearly the genius of an entire generation. The Council is pleased, despite everything that had transpired. Well, I ought to be going." And with that, Hiruzen left, not noticing the way Kakashi's body trembled almost violently. Sakumo only processed the information several minutes after Hiruzen had left, and focused on his son.

He looked absolutely terrified.

"Pup?"

"I can't." Kakashi looked at Sakumo, struggling to breathe properly. " _I can't._ "

* * *

Sakumo ended up carrying Kakashi all the way to the compound, mostly because Kakashi became unresponsive after the unexpected news. Every now and then he'd repeat something under his breath, and it wasn't until his back touched his futon that he snapped of his trance. It was obvious they still needed to talk about what had happened— mostly because Sakumo felt like there was something that Kakashi wasn't telling him— but his son was so distressed he couldn't bring himself to question him.

His answer should be enough, a small voice in his head offered. It was obvious Kakashi loved Orochimaru, in his own particular way. And if he hadn't decided to trust his gut... Sakumo didn't even want to think about it. His heart stopped beating when the memory of Orochimaru lying in a pool of his own blood hit him, and it was obvious it was simply too much for his son to handle.

"Pup."

Silence.

"Kakashi."

He just blinked.

"Angel. I will talk to him." Kakashi frowned and opened his too pale lips to retort, but Sakumo held a hand up in a very Orochimaru-esque way. "I am not particularly thrilled by the announcement myself. You don't need that right now. I know. Something like that should never be rewarded. I promise I'll do anything to keep you in the Academy for as long as possible. Please don't be scared. It's killing me to see you like this."

A cold hand gripped his own, even if Kakashi still refused to meet his gaze. Perhaps he had been too harsh on him back at the forest.

"What if—"

"Stop." The command was soft but it held no room for argument. Sakumo shrugged his vest off and moved to lay down next to his son, pulling him close without hurting his wounds or leg."When have I ever broken a promise, hm?"

Kakashi barely resisted the urge to flinch and snuggled closer to his father.

Sakumo smiled, completely unaware of what was going on in his son's mind. "I'm not ready to let go of you, Pup. I'm selfish like that. You'll be okay, you hear me? You'll be okay."

But Sakumo couldn't help but think he was actually reassuring himself and not his son.

* * *

A/N: A bit late, but here it is! I had to re-write the first two chapters of Snake and Wolves, hence the delay. I'm sorry! And thank you so much for the reviews, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter!


	9. Chapter 9

Author's Note:

No, I have not forgotten about this sotry. I still have muse to keep this baby going, personal business just so happens to get in the way with the creative flow.

A new chapter of Restart will be posted on March 3rd. And just before I leave, I thought I should reply to some of the reviews left in my absence.

Guest: Sakumo doesn't call Kakashi "pup/cub" because Kakashi's summoning is a pack of ninken. Sakumo calls him that because (at least, in my headcanon), the Hatake Ichizoku has had a long sotry with wolves. In my story Sakumo's summoning is a big badass wolf. He's called Shiroi Kiba (or Konoha's White Fang). The references are there. Even Kakashi has some resemblance like having a nose even sharper tan Kiba's (much like a dog's nose). It's like Tsume calling Hana or Kiba "pup", and no, it's not weird for me so I'm not going to stop using it. Sorry.

Guest: The reasoning behind Orochimaru calling Kakashi "hatchling" is very much like Sakumo calling him "pup". I'm taking a lot of things into consideration here, not only their summonings, but the fact that Orochimaru is the Snake Sanning and certain characteristics of his resemble the ones of a snake. I'm 1000% sure I'm not the only writer who uses the same "terms of endearment".

I like Oro/Kaka too, but this story will contain Oro/Saku(mo). I have another story with the first pairing, you're more tan welcome to check it out.

MalayTheDynamo: I do understand where you're coming from! I thought some changes or twists were necessary for this story. Kakashi is just so much more than a mask.


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